Even in the midst of winter, the pale green trees swayed in the grand garden of the Robert family.
As Derus Robert gazed at the moonlight rippling through the clouds, a small woman dressed as a maid prostrated behind him.
"There's a message from Siris."
The maid lifted her bowed head, revealing dry, emotionless eyes.
"Who has come?"
"The Holy Sword Alliance's leader has brought Sword Wing. The Dragon Sword Master has lost an arm, and there was someone who seemed to be the Holy Sword Alliance's leader's disciple."
"Disciple? Is it Quirel?"
Derus asked again about the Holy Sword Alliance's leader's disciple, as if intrigued.
"No. It's said to be a newly accepted disciple, who has already reached the rank of Grandmaster."
"The youngest disciple is a Grandmaster. So he wasn't just hiding."
He nodded with a faint smile.
"What about the others?"
"The White Blood Religion's leader has come directly with the 3rd and 10th apostles."
"That fiend never strays from expectations. So, it's two then. It seems he hasn't arrived yet."
"Lastly…."
The woman in maid attire clicked her tongue briefly.
"Merlin has appeared."
"Merlin?"
For the first time, Derus lowered his gaze as if surprised.
"Eden shouldn't have any leeway right now."
"It seems Merlin alone is targeting Raon Zieghart. They say he is in a standoff with the 10th apostle."
"Even after that incident, he still hasn't come to his senses."
He clicked his tongue a couple of times as if exasperated.
"What's the situation?"
"Inside the city, the Holy Sword Alliance's leader, the White Blood Religion's leader, and the leaders of the Five Divine Orders are fighting evenly. The Heavenly Blade Division Leader and the Light Sword are holding off the Dragon Sword Master and the apostles…."
The woman in maid attire hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Outside the city, Raon Zieghart has defeated the Holy Sword Alliance's leader's disciple."
"What?"
Derus's previously calm eyes widened in shock.
"Kubara."
"Yes."
"You said the Holy Sword Alliance's leader's disciple is a Grandmaster."
"That's correct."
"Then does that mean Raon Zieghart has reached the rank of Grandmaster?"
"No, it doesn't."
Despite Derus's piercing gaze, the woman called Kubara calmly parted her lips.
"They say he used sword domain."
"Ha! Sword domain?"
Derus clutched his forehead and exhaled sharply.
'A sword domain at 21? It must not be the perfected form. Even so….'
It's more astonishing than becoming a Grandmaster.
Having studied numerous books and records, and even having kidnapped and dissected direct descendants who could use sword domain, Derus knew more about sword domain than Zieghart's martial artists.
Zieghart's sword domain is a barrier that embodies the imagery of a swordsman's life into reality. Its application is limitless and changes with the swordsman's growth.
Since it embodies life, even a genius requires a lot of time to achieve it, yet the lunatic Raon Zieghart created a sword domain at the mere age of 21.
'This surpasses all his previous achievements.'
I thought nothing about Raon could surprise me anymore, but this goes beyond my imagination.
"What kind of sword domain is it?"
"I didn't hear that."
Kubara slowly shook her head.
"What do you mean?"
"As soon as Raon Zieghart's sword domain disappeared, his energy was completely depleted. They said they would attack immediately and then cut off contact."
She sighed, saying that Siris moved without waiting for orders.
"Should I stop them?"
"Hmm…."
Derus stroked his chin as he watched the blue leaves fluttering.
'She's not wrong.'
The sword domain is a Zieghart swordsman's ultimate card. Once deployed, it depletes one's stamina and aura to the point of exhaustion.
If the balance within Barene has reached perfect equilibrium, there will be few who can come to Raon's rescue.
Given that the experienced Siris moved, it means she saw a definite gap, so it seems trustworthy.
"Let it be."
Derus grasped the moon that emerged from behind the clouds in his hand, forming a chilly smile.
"No matter what happens, Raon Zieghart won't survive tonight."
Raon stopped behind a tree as thick as an adult man's torso. He released the little remaining aura to survey the surroundings.
'It's definitely an assassin's movement. And….'
It's the same as the Shadows.
Assassins have their own characteristics depending on their faction.
The Blood Cult pursues the fastest speed, and the Death God Sect values stealth above all else.
However, the Shadows change their approach based on the situation. When stealth is needed, they move darker than the Death God Sect, and when speed is essential, they move faster than the Blood Cult to eliminate their target.
'The fact that these Shadows are approaching while making a little noise means….'
They know my condition is the worst.
The Shadows are undoubtedly rushing to eliminate me before I recover my stamina and aura.
It seems they were observing the situation from a high place.
However, considering their swift yet stealthy approach, each one seems to be a top-tier assassin.
'There's no way he would send ordinary assassins.'
It's clear that the ones sent by Derus are not ordinary assassins. They must be hiding something special.
'I must avoid a frontal confrontation.'
With both my aura and stamina depleted, a frontal fight is not a good choice.
-Aaah.
Wrath yawned as if satisfied to know the Light Wind division was safe, then retreated into the flower bracelet.
-Wake me up when it's over.
'Anyway….'
Raon bit his lip and drew the Requiem Sword.
'It's the worst state, but there's still a way.'
Shall I go back to the old days?
Pretending to flee, he entered the forest. Though it was winter and the trees and shrubs were bare, he used stealth techniques while passing by the large tree trunks.
It wasn't the martial arts of the Shadows that he learned in his past life. It was the White Shadow Steps he refined based on martial arts he obtained in his new life.
Using White Shadow Steps to perfectly kill his presence, he climbed a tree.
'I've arrived.'
Even a Master-level expert wouldn't notice, but this place was filled with assassins.
Raon observed the surroundings, gripping the Requiem Sword in reverse.
'As expected, they can't find me.'
Despite being so close, the assassins couldn't detect his presence and were wandering around the area.
'However, it's also hard for me to pinpoint them….'
With my stamina, mental strength, and aura all depleted, I couldn't accurately locate the assassins.
'It's been a while since I felt like this.'
A fight between assassins is different from that with martial artists.
It's a battle of information, sensing the opponent's location and state, and if you move thoughtlessly, your head will be cut off in a silent war.
'Each one of them has top-tier stealth skills. He trained them well.'
Their presence and vitality were imperceptible, just like dead people. Their stealth skills were beyond top-tier.
Raon let his breath flow with the sound of the wind and spread his senses more finely.
'They're hiding well.'
Given my worst condition and the faint presence of the enemies, it was hard to pinpoint their exact location.
'And I can't use the Perception of the Snow Flower.'
The Perception of the Snow Flower consumes not only Wrath but also aura and mental strength.
If I can't locate all the assassins using it, it will cause a big problem. Now was the time to endure.
Raon placed his hand on a thin tree branch and closed his eyes. He commanded the Ring of Fire revolving around his heart to find the enemy as quickly as possible.
Chiiiiing!
The seven rings resonated intensely, sharpening his senses. Overcoming the fatigue of exhaustion, they whitened the forest.
Amidst the white space where only nature existed, black beings flared like embers. They were the assassins' auras.
'Found them.'
He identified the positions of twenty-four assassins surrounding the forest like a net. However, even knowing their hidden locations, it was difficult to capture their vitality. They were like corpses.
'Did they create new martial arts that even kill vitality?'
While thinking that they might have developed martial arts to kill vitality, a small vibration spread throughout the forest.
[Hidden so well, not a strand of hair is visible.]
A strangely modified voice. It seemed they used an artifact to obscure the source of the voice.
[For the White Sword Dragon of Zieghart to hide before the enemy, wouldn't it be embarrassing if word got out?]
Hearing the mocking voice, Raon nodded calmly.
'As expected.'
There's a leader.
Originally, the Shadows have a leader who directs these assassination acts, and it seemed the one speaking now was that leader.
'Where is he?'
Among the twenty-four assassins whose positions I just identified, the leader was not present. It seemed his stealth technique was even more special.
[If you keep dragging your feet here, the Light Wind division you care about will all die. I've sent people there too.]
The leader of the assassins started provoking, urging him to come out quickly.
'Tch.'
Raon clicked his tongue briefly.
'As if that would be the case.'
Derus has no interest in the Light Wind division. What he desires is solely the death of Raon Zieghart.
'Is he trying to shake my psyche?'
That's my specialty too.
Raon moved behind the closest assassin using White Shadow Steps.
The assassin was hiding at the base of a tree on the right, watching the center.
'Indeed, their presence is different.'
Despite being so close, I couldn't feel their vitality. It seemed true that Derus Robert had created new martial arts.
Sssup.
Raon covered the assassin's mouth and pierced his neck with the Requiem Sword held in reverse.
'No movement at all?'
Even though they were assassins, I didn't expect them to show no reaction when dying. It felt like stabbing a doll.
'How much brainwashing did they undergo?'
Thinking Derus was relentless, he moved to the next assassin. This time, as he covered the assassin's mouth and slit their heart, he felt something.
'Ugh!'
The blood dripping from the assassin's chest burned his wrist like a chemical burn.
'Poison? No, that's impossible.'
Even though they were assassins, carrying poison that could melt my skin made no sense.
'Wait a minute, now that I think about it….'
When I approached to cover their mouths, each one had a low body temperature, like a corpse.
'Blood laced with poison and low body temperature like a corpse?'
Thinking of the assassins as corpses, a plan Derus had mentioned in my past life came to mind.
'No way, these things!'
As Raon was about to drop the assassin's body and step back, the leader of the Shadows spoke.
[Found you.]
As soon as that voice rang out, the assassin whose heart I had pierced turned his head 180 degrees. Like a zombie, he reached out with a hole in his heart.
Crack!
The assassin I had stabbed in the neck bent his waist and lunged, and the hidden assassins simultaneously revealed themselves and charged.
'Damn it!'
Raon bit his lip and stepped back.
'So he perfected it?'
The Water Demon Guest.
Now I understood why the assassins had no vitality like corpses. They were all dead bodies. It seemed Derus Robert had perfected his plan to create assassins out of corpses.
[Not a dragon, but a rat? Running away like a rat.]
The leader's mocking voice followed the attacking Water Demon Guests. He must be controlling them.
'Undying assassins with acidic blood. So, he achieved that too.'
In fact, the scariest thing about the Water Demon Guests isn't that they're dead bodies. There's something even more terrifying.
'He must be aiming for that.'
I needed to prepare to use that to escape this situation.
"Argh! Come out!"
Feigning severe panic, Raon fought off the attacking assassins.
Naturally, the dead assassins showed no fear. Even if their limbs were cut off, they continued to attack, spilling poisonous blood.
'Just a little more.'
Pretending to dodge the poison blood, Raon circled around, waiting for the four Water Demon Guests to move simultaneously before drawing the Heavenly Drive.
Swish!
The sharp strike, like a taut string, simultaneously decapitated the four Water Demon Guests.
At that moment.
[Got you.]
With a voice filled with laughter, the decapitated assassins' bodies glowed as if coated with oil.
'Here it comes!'
Raon bit his lip and concentrated his little remaining aura into the mana circuits in his feet, using Supreme Harmony Steps. He fiercely kicked the ground, retreating.
Boom!
As soon as he escaped the space between the decapitated Water Demon Guests, a massive explosion occurred, creating a bottomless pit where he had just stood.
'Ugh….'
Raon grimaced as he looked at his hands and legs.
'I got hit a bit.'
The explosion was too close to completely avoid. Severe wounds appeared on his hands and thighs.
'This is why they're called Water Demon Guests.'
They were named Water Demon Guests because they drag the living to the underworld like a vengeful spirit.
'But the plan must have worked….'
The leader controlling the Water Demon Guests must think I'm dead after the explosion.
I needed to prepare to ambush him the moment he descended.
[Hmmm….]
The assassin leader, still hidden, groaned as he looked at the exploded area. After a long silence, he chuckled.
[Not dead, huh? Impressive.]
Cold sweat ran down Raon's back at those words.
'He noticed?'
I avoided the explosion using footwork alone, without forming an aura shield, to avoid suspicion, yet he figured it out. Whether it was intuition or ability, he was no ordinary foe.
'No choice.'
Despite worsening my internal injuries, I had to use the Perception of the Snow Flower to locate him.
Raon sighed and touched his aching abdomen when he sensed a small movement behind him. Thinking it was an assassin, he tensed, but the presence was very small and came from underground.
Pop!
A mole with snow on its head poked its head out from the ground.
'The ground vibration from earlier….'
"Struggling?"
The mole spoke.
'Merlin?'
Raon quickly cast an aura barrier, his mouth agape.
"Aren't you fighting the 10th apostle?"
"I am. But I have to see you too."
Merlin tilted her head as if questioning why he was asking the obvious.
"I saw you use sword domain. It was truly a beautiful dawn."
She blushed and touched her cheeks.
"Now's not the time for that…."
"Want help?"
"What?"
Merlin grinned and dove back into the ground.
'What does she mean?'
Wondering where she was going after offering help, Raon looked up as the sky brightened. Dozens of magic circles floated like constellations, emitting vast light before unleashing a barrage of spells.
Boom!
As the magic exploded one after another, trees were uprooted, and the ground split, yet the tree where Raon hid only had its top burned without taking any damage.
'It's Merlin.'
Merlin must have noticed my condition and decided to help.
'I can't waste this opportunity.'
Not being foolish enough to miss such an easy chance, Raon focused his remaining aura in his hands and feet while using the Ring of Fire.
Boom! Boom!
Amid the chain of exploding magic, a very faint presence moved. It was the presence of a living being, different from the corpses.
Whoosh.
Red energy surged from Raon's eyes.
'Found him.'