Chapter 65

Metoon narrowed his eyes as he watched Raon, who had reduced his presence to the level of a wild animal.

"Was Raon deliberately holding back his strength?"

"It’s not that I was hiding it; I just wanted to snap the kids out of their delusions."

Rimer snorted.

"Snap them out of their delusions?"

"Our kids have been getting a bit too much attention lately and started to believe they were really strong. They didn’t realize that there were others with similar skills, and they were always ahead, which made them overconfident."

He chuckled and pointed at Raon.

"Among the trainees in the 5th Training Ground, only Raon can objectively assess his own abilities. I wanted to snap them out of their delusions."

"Hold on! So you were actually at that tavern…."

"Yep. I deliberately went to the tavern you frequent. I wanted to provoke you into a fight between the 5th and 6th Training Grounds."

"Rimer…."

"Don’t look at me like that. You were also targeting us, weren’t you?"

Rimer maintained a gentle smile as he turned to Metoon.

"Hmm…."

"I’ve been watching how well you’ve been teaching them and the hard work they’ve put in. No one will underestimate them from now on."

"Hmph."

Metoon wrinkled his nose and turned his head. His slightly flushed face suggested he was flattered by the praise.

"But Rimer, you’re also mistaken."

He turned his head sharply, his eyes alive with intensity.

"Mistaken? What mistake?"

"The battle isn’t over yet."

Metoon pointed at Cain, who stood in front of Raon.

"Raon’s aura is a mid-level fire cultivation technique, nothing special. But Cain has a natural affinity for fire and is practicing a top-tier cultivation technique. Given the elemental advantage, Raon can’t win against Cain."

As soon as Metoon finished speaking, a crimson flame erupted from Cain’s blade.

"Oh, making the same mistake again."

"Got it. The result is…."

"No, I’m talking about you, not me."

Rimer chuckled and pointed at Raon, who was drawing his sword.

Whoosh!

A tiny flame sprang from Raon’s blade.

"Watch closely."

Rimer’s eyes burned red like the flames on Raon’s blade.

"Watch how a small flame devours a large one."

* * *

Cain Zighart narrowed his eyes as he saw the small flame on Raon’s blade. It was beautiful like a flower but too small.

'Too small.'

A tiny flame that barely covered the tip of the blade, barely enough to cut someone.

'But there’s definitely something there.'

Raon couldn’t have become the top trainee in the 5th Training Ground by chance.

From the opponents Raon has defeated so far, it’s clear that this aura is not ordinary.

'But I’m stronger.'

After being injured, he didn’t stop practicing aura for two years. In terms of aura quantity, he doesn’t fall behind even to swordsmen.

Moreover, he has a top-tier fire aura that can consume Raon’s fire, so the outcome is almost decided.

As long as he doesn’t get complacent, he can turn this disadvantageous situation around and secure victory.

"Let’s go!"

Cain adjusted his grip on the sword and kicked off the ground.

'I need to break through with power.'

Raon’s sword skills are famous. He needs to end this quickly with speed and power to avoid being dragged into a sword fight.

"Roar!"

Just before striking Raon’s shoulder with his flaming sword, the boy lifted his head.

Huh?

Calm eyes.

The calm, sunken eyes didn’t match the current situation, sending shivers down his spine. The boy raised his sword with the small flame.

'It’s too late.'

He put strength into his waist and thighs and brought the sword down with full force.

Clang!

The moment the swords clashed, he burned his aura to the maximum.

Boom!

The flames that erupted from the sword blades seemed to engulf Raon.

But something unexpected happened.

Sizzle!

The small flame on Raon’s sword began to consume the large flame covering the entire blade.

"What, what is this!"

Cain’s eyes widened in shock.

'Is this possible?'

The small flame was actually consuming his own flame, which was unbelievable.

Their eyes met. Raon’s eyes were even more sunken than before, and he still looked calm.

"Ugh!"

Cain gritted his teeth, drawing all the energy from his dantian to strike with his sword.

A red line was drawn in the air as the intense aura exploded, but Raon took a step forward.

Whirr!

His sword changed. From a heavy rock to a sharp wind.

The silver blade pierced like a predator’s fang.

"Ah!"

Cain hastily drew his aura and brought his sword down to the middle.

Clang!

He blocked it.

He clearly blocked it, so why is my sword….

It was a single strike. One swing shattered the practice sword. It was hard to believe that such immense power was contained in that small flame.

"Not yet."

Again, the sound of wind, and a pain in his waist.

"Keh!"

Cain couldn’t withstand Raon’s punch and fell to the ground with a scream.

"Ugh!"

He tried to stand up, enduring the pain as if his ribs were crushed, and heard Raon’s voice from above.

"Elemental advantage?"

Raon, with a calm expression, tilted his head.

"What’s an elemental advantage?"

* * *

Raon subdued Cain and sat back down on the tree stump. After waiting for a while, the 5th Training Ground trainees emerged from the bushes.

Some had fallen behind, but most returned in good condition. Marta held the enemy’s flag.

"Is, is that not Cain Zighart?"

Dorian looked at the bound Cain with a dazed expression.

"Yes. When the situation turned against us, he came straight here."

"Wow, the young master really doesn’t lose."

He and some other trainees laughed, calling him impressive.

"You were right."

Buren approached with a slightly embarrassed look.

"The incomplete sensory sword easily fell into the trap of feints. It was ridiculous."

He scratched his head and slowly exhaled before speaking.

"I thought I was better at commanding, but I was completely wrong. If you weren’t here today, we would have lost to the 6th Training Ground."

The trainees behind Buren nodded in agreement.

"I acknowledge you as the top trainee again. I will follow your instructions without complaint from now on."

He pounded his chest and turned around. His ears were red, showing his embarrassment.

Thud!

Marta planted the 6th Training Ground’s flag on the ground.

"I don’t like it, but what he said is true. Annoying as it is, you were the main contributor to today’s victory."

She said she would have abandoned the agreement if the command was strange.

"Raon."

Lunan, who returned in perfect condition, nodded vigorously, her way of praising him.

Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the three of them.

'This is what the 5th Training Ground should be.'

* * *

"Huh…."

Metoon chuckled, his gaze fixed on Raon, who had subdued Cain.

'That small flame was so strong.'

Raon’s small flame didn’t yield to Cain’s large flame. In fact, it was even more fierce.

Rimer’s words about consuming were not just talk.

'It’s not just about power. He was observing his opponent carefully.'

Cain’s flames were intense, but there was a gap at the lower part of the blade that wasn’t filled with aura.

A tiny hole that a normal trainee might not notice.

'But…'

He noticed it.

Raon Zighart identified Cain’s mistake and struck at the weakness, securing victory.

'Impressive.'

While Cain’s senses were also remarkable, Raon’s were even more so. His senses were so sensitive and refined that it was hard to believe even when seen directly.

'His nerve is also off the charts.'

Identifying an opponent’s weakness and striking in such a tense situation isn’t just about senses. His mental strength was already at the level of a qualified swordsman.

"Hmm…."

Metoon sighed and stood up, nodding as he turned around.

"I have to admit it."

"Hmm."

Rimer, who was half-lying, nodded with a satisfied look.

"Why are you so proud when I praised the kid?"

"He’s my student."

"Student? You were probably just playing while he trained alone."

"Well, there were times like that."

Rimer chuckled and stood up.

"Let’s go."

"Where?"

"They might have had a rivalry, but they don’t hate each other. Since they’re both named Zighart, it’s a good opportunity to build camaraderie. Let’s treat them to a meal."

"Hmm, that’s not bad."

"You’re paying, right?"

"Alright."

Metoon nodded. Since he had a bet with Rimer, he could easily cover the cost of the trainees’ meal.

"Sure, you have a big heart!"

Rimer chuckled and ran to the trainees gathering around Raon.

"Today’s feast is on someone else’s dime!"

* * *

Raon picked up his fork and knife as he watched the food being piled on the long rectangular table.

He cut a piece of roasted pig and put it in his mouth. The skin was crispy, and the meat was tender, melting on his tongue. It was stimulating but delicious.

- Cough! Good, very good. This concentrated flavor captures the king’s discerning taste.

'That’s true. The taste is good.'

- Try the pie next to it. The king has loved such pies since the time in the netherworld, morning and night….

Raon ignored his words and ate the stew on the right. It was smooth and rich.

- This is good, but listen to the king. Pie! Pie!

'Such a place exists.'

Rimer immediately took the 5th and 6th Training Ground trainees to a restaurant in the estate after the battle.

He was worried about the restaurant’s old appearance, but the food was diverse and delicious. It seemed to be prepared by a skilled chef using high-quality ingredients.

'But…'

He ate another piece of pork and looked around. The atmosphere was as tense as old piano strings. The victorious 5th Training Ground and the defeated 6th Training Ground were both down.

'Well, it’s natural.'

The 5th Training Ground thought they would easily win against the 6th Training Ground but almost lost, and the 6th Training Ground’s carefully planned strategy was completely shattered. It wasn’t strange for both to be dejected.

Of course, there were exceptions.

"I really taught them well, didn’t I?"

Rimer drank the most expensive black beer and chuckled.

"Your advice was impressive, but I saw how they followed it. They are great students."

"You didn’t do anything today."

"Who taught Raon? This body! So his achievements are mine."

"Hmm…."

The two of them held a separate reflection meeting on today’s duel. Of course, from the outside, it looked more like Rimer’s self-praise.

Meanwhile, at the trainees’ table, the only sound was the chewing of food. As he thought about it, he was about to eat some fried chicken when he heard:

'Was it Dune?'

A large man who fought Marta in the center approached her.

"You were stronger than I heard. Both your offense and defense were impressive. I was shocked when you targeted the gaps in the sword formation during the second match."

Dune, with his simple appearance, recounted what he felt. Marta, looking flustered, dropped the broccoli on her fork.

"Would you like to train together sometime? It would definitely benefit both of us…."

"Get lost."

Of course, Marta waved her hand without looking.

'If he’s this level, he won’t cause trouble.'

Raon nodded slightly. If it were the original Marta, she would have thrown a punch, but saying it this way meant she was somewhat impressed.

"Mr. Buren."

Decal, seeing an opportunity, moved to Buren’s seat.

"Do you have something to say?"

Buren frowned and looked up.

"Do you practice feints regularly?"

"Not really."

"To me, it looked like you had a lot of training. Honestly, it felt so real that I couldn’t resist. I jumped in like a dog seeing food."

"Ahem!"

Buren’s face turned slightly red, seemingly pleased by the praise.

"Well, your sensory swords were also sharp. I couldn’t find a way to break through until I used the feint. It was the first time my sword skills were so blocked."

Buren praised Decal’s strengths in return.

"But in the end, I lost to you. When you used the feint against me, I couldn’t move at all."

"Well, my sword skills are good, but my aura is also superior…."

Buren, seemingly pleased with Decal’s honest words, turned his body and talked about sword skills and aura.

This seemed to be the catalyst. The trainees, who had been watching, started to seek out their opponents from the battle and discuss today’s matches.

They discussed what was impressive and what was problematic, like a debate.

"Do you like ice cream?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of ice cream?"

"Marbles."

Lunan was sitting across from a cute-looking girl. It wasn’t clear if they were communicating well.

"Ah."

The sound of someone sitting in the empty seat on the left caught his attention. It was Cain Zighart, the top trainee of the 6th Training Ground, whom he fought last.

"I was completely outmatched. I didn’t expect you to attack the weak point of my aura and break my sword."

He nodded, seemingly in admiration.

"It wasn’t a fluke, right?"

"That’s right."

He nodded honestly.

"There’s no need to bring it up now. We’re all trainees, after all."

"True."

There was no need to refuse when he was told to drop the formality. He nodded.

"I thought I was the best in terms of senses among my peers, but I was overconfident."

Cain, unlike before, smiled, accepting everything. It was a new experience to see such a direct personality.

"I learned a lot strategically and mentally. Thank you."

"Learned?"

"Thanks to you, I learned that I shouldn’t be complacent until the end and that I need to be prepared for when my strategy fails. You probably said those things to teach me."

Cain stood up and slowly bowed.

"You’re my benefactor. Thank you."

"Uh…."

Raon tilted his head.

What’s he talking about now?