Chapter 737
Raon lowered his gaze, imagining the Ghost King hiding in the darkness.
Ghost King.
He first met the Ghost King when he was appointed as the leader of the Shadow. The monster's presence had been so faint that if Derus hadn't spoken to him, he wouldn't have even realized the Ghost King was there. Yet, despite his subtle aura, he possessed tremendous martial prowess. He had been a Grandmaster even then; now, he must be at least high-level, possibly even top-tier.
Even so…
He must have been far removed from actual combat. The Ghost King had passed on the title of the South's best assassin to him and disappeared. Since he had only reappeared after Martio and Lisbon's deaths, Raon had the advantage of continuous experience.
Let's try to shake him up.
Raon gestured toward the pitch-black cavern.
"You know you've been discovered." He tilted his chin arrogantly, trying to unsettle the Ghost King's psyche.
"Come out."
"Are you Raon Zieghart?"
An aged voice echoed from the darkness. It was the Ghost King. He made his voice resonate throughout the cavern to conceal his exact location.
"That's right." Raon nodded briefly, scanning the darkness that seemed to swallow even light.
"You must be the Ghost King?"
"Yes. I am the Ghost King." The Ghost King answered without hesitation, still concealing his position by projecting his voice.
"Martio and Lisbon, who raised you, were children I nurtured." His voice carried deep sorrow and loneliness.
So it is the Ghost King, after all. Raon lowered his gaze, relaxing his fingertips. He manipulates emotions at will. The sorrow and loneliness emanating from the Ghost King's voice were fake. He probably never even considered Martio and Lisbon as his disciples.
"Did you hear it from Derus?" Raon narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the center of the cavern. Judging from his mention of Martio and Lisbon, he must have heard from Derus that he was the assassin Raon.
"Yes. He said you were Raon."
The Ghost King admitted it readily, letting out a small chuckle.
"You believe that con artist?" Raon scoffed as he surveyed the cavern's terrain.
"He is a god." The Ghost King remained unwavering, as if Derus was his one true god.
"Did you know he fled with his limbs torn off and a hole in his stomach?" Raon described Derus's state as he fled, tilting his chin sideways. "He abandoned the house he nurtured his entire life and ran away. Some god he is. Truly remarkable."
"Shut up." The Ghost King's composure, once as still as a lake, rippled briefly. He seemed to follow Derus more closely than expected.
Whether this is real or fake, I can use it to my advantage. In a battle with an assassin, the one who controls emotions and information wins. The more he knew about Raon, the better.
"Thanks to you, so many things have crumbled." Sharp killing intent rose from the Ghost King's voice. "With Martio and Lisbon dead, I had to take charge of breeding again, and I even had to participate in improving the Water Demon Guests instead of the necromancers."
He exuded an even more intense killing intent, saying he had to live busily with his old body. Raon felt a stinging pain on his skin.
"Congratulations on your re-employment." Raon chuckled and gave a round of applause. "I heard jobs are scarce these days. Getting employed at your age is quite an achievement."
"They say the tongue is sharper than the sword, and you prove it true." The Ghost King chuckled, stirring up a small breeze.
"But this is as far as you go. You'll regret coming here alone even in death." He suppressed all the burning killing intent throughout the cavern. It seemed like a resolve to kill with full force.
"I've always been curious. Just how skilled is the Ghost King, known as the best assassin?" Raon melted into the darkness with a deep smile. "This darkness will be your grave."
"Youngster." The Ghost King's mocking laughter echoed. "I've been the symbol of terror known as the Ghost King since before you were born. You dare to challenge me in assassination?"
"If you're scared, don't bother." Raon shrugged and shook his head. "Fine. Either way, you'll be the one to die."
The Ghost King's voice took on the calm tone of an experienced assassin. The only time he showed any sign of being shaken was when Derus was insulted. Raon lowered his stance, suppressing his presence with the Ring of Fire.
There aren't many opportunities. Judging by the flow of aura making his voice echo, the Ghost King's martial prowess was at least at the upper level of Grandmaster. Raon, on the other hand, was exhausted, having used prolonged Sword Domain and unleashed his wrath, barely maintaining half of his usual strength.
Despite the unfavorable situation, perhaps due to the elation of revealing Derus's true identity, Raon didn't feel like he would lose. Especially not in this place.
"Let's begin." Raon slowly drew the Blade of Death, twisting his lips into a smile.
A silent war. The Ghost King glared into the darkness where Raon had disappeared, chewing the inside of his cheek. So, he's the assassin Raon.
Derus had suspected that Raon Zieghart was once the leader of the Shadows, the assassin Raon, and eventually became convinced, equating the two. Even earlier, he had warned that if anyone came here, it would undoubtedly be Raon.
Lord Derus told me to retreat no matter what, but… But he couldn't miss the opportunity to kill him. Since Raon Zieghart was the assassin Raon, they couldn't coexist under the same sky. He had to kill him here and now.
However… He's still foolish. Is it because of the joy of uncovering Derus's identity? Raon came for an assassination duel, not a frontal confrontation. Raon Zieghart is strong. In a direct fight, it's uncertain who would win, but coming for an assassination duel like this is a great advantage for me.
His skills are predictable after all. Even if he's been away from actual combat for a while, in terms of assassination, the only one above me is the King of Assassination—the Killing King. Other than that, I'm confident I won't lose to anyone.
"I can clearly see where you're hiding."
The Ghost King made his voice sound as if it came from behind while spreading a consistent aura in all directions. While hiding his own position, he pressured the space where Raon could move.
"Why is Derus's lapdog so noisy? Ah, I guess there's no need to lick his master's feet now that they're gone."
While insulting Derus, Raon unleashed sword strikes into the air, shattering the ceiling. The collapsing ceiling sent rocks and dirt raining down haphazardly, making the air in the cavern even heavier.
Is he trying to shake my psyche? The Ghost King licked his lips as he observed the direction Raon had moved.
But it's you who's shaken. Raon must have destroyed the ceiling and insulted Derus out of impatience and anxiety at not being able to detect my presence, but it was all according to my plan.
Because I deliberately showed killing intent. When he insulted Derus, I deliberately showed a small anger to give false information. He was clearly trying to exploit that opening.
"Do not insult him."
As one of the designers of this space, he had memorized the entire layout. He could visualize exactly how and where Raon would attack from. The Ghost King approached the wall, pretending to be fooled by Raon, while silently raising his killing intent.
As expected, just before reaching the wall where the dagger should have been embedded, he heard the sound of a sword flying from behind.
Where do you think—! As he turned around leisurely to counterattack, the incoming sword was surprisingly slow.
What is this! His eyes widened in surprise as the red dagger he thought was merely stuck in the wall was gripped by a white hand, piercing through his lower abdomen where the energy center was located.
"Kuheo-eok!" The Ghost King, feigning anger, headed toward the right corridor where Raon had entered.
I can sense it from that end. A very faint presence was felt from inside the brainwashing classroom that bent to the left.
The Ghost King slightly bent his knees, holding the dagger in his hand in a reverse grip.
No, that's not Raon. There was a presence as faint as an ant inside the wall, but that wasn't Raon.
He must have embedded a dagger in the wall.
It was clear that Raon had embedded the dagger he had drawn before disappearing into the wall to disguise his presence and then ambush from behind.
Not a bad plan, but…
The Ghost King dropped the dagger he was holding and knelt down.
"I told you." It was Raon. His red eyes glowed eerily in the darkness. "This darkness will be your grave."
Raon struck the Ghost King's heart, stunning the Rage Worm.
"Kueouk…" The Ghost King trembled all over, coughing up black blood from the shock of his energy center being shattered.
"H-How did you get there…" He trembled, noticing a tiny space open beneath the wall.
"I designed this place. There was no such space…"
"Of course not." Raon looked down at the Ghost King, twisting his lips. "Because I created this place. Me, Raon."
This hole in the floor was one of the secret passages he had prepared to escape from Derus, so it was natural that the Ghost King didn't know about it.
"...I see." The Ghost King gritted his teeth, seemingly finally grasping the situation.
"Slashing at the ceiling, insulting Lord Derus, it was all a trick."
"That's right. I knew the Ghost King wouldn't get excited over something like that." Raon nodded calmly. Unleashing sword strikes to create noise and dust, and mocking Derus were preparations to reverse the Ghost King's psychological warfare. As expected, he
approached thinking there was a dagger embedded in the wall, falling perfectly for the trap.
Another assassin might not have been fooled. It was a high-level deception that could only be attempted because it was the Ghost King.
"I underestimated you too much. Kill me…" The Ghost King raised his unwavering gaze, even as he coughed up a ghastly amount of blood. "I am the Ghost King. Torture is useless against me."
"We'll see about that." Raon shook his head and pushed the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier into the Blade of Requiem embedded in the Ghost King's abdomen.
"I know nothing, and even if I did, I wouldn't… Keheuk!" The Ghost King's expression, which had remained firm as if he could endure any torture, suddenly shattered.
"Kuaaaaaaak!" The Ghost King screamed and shook his limbs like an ordinary person, not the best assassin.
"Why did you stay here?" Raon wiggled his finger, watching the Ghost King's trembling eyes. "Derus would have surely told you to leave this place too. If you were targeting me, you would have made more thorough preparations."
"I-I don't know…"
In other words, he stayed here for another reason, probably to retrieve or hide something. The Ghost King only groaned without answering, but unlike before, his gaze wavered with confusion rather than pain. It meant Raon's prediction was correct.
"You wouldn't have hidden it elsewhere in a situation where a battle could break out…" He reached into the Ghost King's chest. He pulled out the only non-weapon item from his breast. It was a small wooden box, looking ordinary with no patterns.
"You… you…"
"Looks like this is it." Raon opened the lid of the box while watching the Ghost King's face turn pale. Unlike its ordinary exterior, the inside of the box was covered with bizarre magical inscriptions, and at the center, a blood-red bead exuded chilling killing intent and malice.
"What is this…" Raon frowned, bringing the bead close to the Ghost King.
"What are you planning to do with this!"
"Kuuuu…" The Ghost King kept his mouth shut despite the torture. He was a tough one.
How filthy. Wrath furrowed his brow as he looked at the bead. Tremendous killing intent, blood, grudges, and pain are contained within. He shook his head, commenting on the terrible aura.
"This place…" Raon bit his lip as he looked around the underground cavern, not at the blood-red bead. "They've gathered the grudges and deaths embedded in this land." Countless children had died unjustly, leaving indelible blood and grudges in this cavern. It seemed Derus had tried to use even that malice.
"Kill me…" The Ghost King confirmed Raon's suspicion by asking to be killed.
"Where were you told to bring this?"
"I-I don't know. He said he would come to find it…" He answered while bleeding, as if thinking it was all over.
"So that's all you know." Raon struck the back of the Ghost King's neck, knocking him unconscious.
-You're not killing him? Wrath waved his hand, asking why Raon didn't cut his throat.
This guy doesn't deserve to die here. The people buried in this land are all children who died unjustly. Someone like the Ghost King couldn't be buried here.
"It's fortunate, at least." Raon sighed as he looked at the bead emitting increasingly intense malice. He didn't know how Derus intended to use this bead, but it was fortunate he had stopped it. If it had gotten outside, something terrible would have happened.
-Ugh, get rid of it immediately! Wrath also seemed to feel the grudge from the bead, sniffling and turning his head away.
Should I take it?
-With your abilities, you could purify and absorb the energy itself, but the indelible grudge would remain, lowering the quality of your soul instead.
He brought his fist down, saying to just destroy the bead.
"I suppose I should…" As Wrath said, he could purify the bead's power with the Ring of Fire, but it seemed he couldn't erase the grudge.
"I guess there's no choice." As Raon was about to clench his fist to destroy the bead, the Blade of Requiem burst into an intense sword chant.
"What? You'll consume it?"
The Blade of Death resonated with its sword chant once more, as if saying to leave it to itself.
-Ah, no! Just break it! Wrath shook his head, insisting it absolutely shouldn't be done.
"Now I see. You weren't worried about me."
-N-No, that's not it! I was just…
"You were just trying to restrain me from becoming stronger."
-Wait!
Ignoring Wrath's gesture, Raon stabbed the red bead with the Blade of Requiem. The bead shattered, and the crimson energy that burst out was about to touch him but was sucked into the blade instead. The Blade of Requiem resonated with a clear chime, as if comforting the grudges residing in the bead.
It wasn't seeking power… Was it trying to offer comfort? Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the reddening blade. It seemed the Blade of Requiem hadn't desired power, but had accepted this bead to console the vengeful spirits and seek revenge together.
I wonder if you're in there too. Hoping that his first nameless friend, Number 9, was also with the Blade of Requiem, Raon closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them again.
Raon sheathed the Blade of Requiem and took out Raon Zieghart's biography from his chest. He carefully wrote his name on the half-torn first page.
"Lephon." He bowed his head as he placed the book in the center of the cavern. "My revenge, your revenge, and the revenge of all those who sleep here—I'll come back after it's all finished."
Raon bowed briefly and left the underground cavern. Turning his gaze toward the rising smoke, he saw the magnificent sight of the entire House Robert engulfed in flames.
A scene I've wanted to see for over twenty years.
After revealing Derus's true identity and seeing the house that was his everything consumed by flames, an indescribable elation and satisfaction welled up inside him. This emotion was something no one else could feel or understand except himself.
Wrath looked up at Raon, wrinkling his nose.
-"You've been really strange today…" Just as he was narrowing his eyes suspiciously, messages popped up in an enormous cascade:
[You have achieved an impossible feat.]
[You have achieved a feat that will change the history of the continent.]
[All abilities have increased by 50 points.]
[Trait …]
[Trait …]
Wrath gaped at the messages, almost choking.
"-D-Did you think I would be flustered? This time you really fooled that Uriel bastard, so this level of reward is deserv… deserved…" He dragged out his words as if hypnotizing himself.
"-No, but fifty points is too much… No! I will take it! As a reward for shutting Uriel's mouth, it is sufficient…"
While Raon remained still, Wrath alone contradicted himself, his entire body trembling.
"-Fine. I'll endure it this time. Endure it. Next time…"
[You have received 's acknowledgment.]
[Additional rewards will be given.]
[All abilities…]
[Traits…]
Wrath gaped again at the newly appeared messages.
"-Next time… my ass! I can't endure this!" Unable to contain himself any longer, Wrath exploded, shaking his head violently.
"-When did I ever acknowledge you! I never even uttered that word!"
Looks like your willingness to endure was taken as acknowledgment?
"-That's cheating! I was just happy that Uriel got messed up! And why give additional rewards! This damn system, just obey me for once… Huh?"
Wrath, who had been yelling, suddenly doubled the size of his round eyes as he saw the final message.
"-No, that shouldn't be given! Has your head been stuffed with Nadine bread?!"