Chapter 81

"Phew."

Rimer sighed as he watched the trainees return to the village.

"They're really inflexible."

He rolled his eyes at Burren, who was closely following Raon. He thought Burren had become a bit more approachable since the first time they met, but it seemed to be only towards Raon.

'Well, that's understandable.'

Burren's change began after he acknowledged Raon's efforts. It wasn't strange that he only showed a different side to Raon.

'And Lunan has changed too.'

The child, who used to hide his emotions and never showed them, now clearly expressed himself. This change would greatly impact his sword skills.

'And Marta.'

Her eyes had also changed significantly. She seemed deeply moved by Raon's battles and spirit.

'She must want to catch up to Raon to take an interest in the sword realm.'

The reason Marta became interested in the sword realm was likely to catch up to or stand beside Raon.

Rimer felt a sense of pride as he observed all the trainees, noticing their growth both physically and mentally. His face turned red with a mix of pride and guilt for not being there on time.

"Well, then... Ouch!"

As he was about to follow the trainees, a sharp pain shot through his lower abdomen.

"Damn..."

The cost of using his damaged dantian and opening the sword realm was immense. It felt as if his life itself had shortened.

'My lifespan must have decreased.'

Though he didn't tell the trainees, opening the sword realm without being a Zighart required sacrificing more than just physical strength; it required life force.

Given his age and poor health, his lifespan had likely decreased significantly.

'Well, no regrets, though.'

He had lived long enough.

Since his dantian broke, life didn't feel like life anymore.

Teaching these children made him feel like he had gained a new life, so he didn't regret the shortened lifespan at all.

"Hmm..."

Rimer waited for the pain in his heart and dantian to subside before standing up. He saw the villagers bowing to Raon.

"Still, I have to see that kid stand at the top before I die."

He chuckled to himself and then vanished like the wind.

* * * *

The protection of Sebu Village and Sebu Mountain is the responsibility of Zighart's Southwest Branch.

"Tsk."

Zighart Southwest Branch Chief Burkas clicked his tongue as he headed towards Sebu Village.

'Eden?'

A trainee named Crane came to report that Eden had appeared in Sebu Village. Raon Zighart had apparently discovered the Red-Eyed Demon's observation, but Burkas found it hard to believe.

To sense the Red-Eyed Demon's gaze, one had to be at least an Expert Mid-Level, and Raon, who was just 15, sensing it was simply unbelievable.

"Chief, this doesn't make sense. Do we really need to go? We've already investigated, haven't we?"

Deputy Chief Sevian grumbled as he walked beside him. He seemed unhappy because he had already investigated Sebu Village and Sebu Mountain.

"Raon isn't the problem. Burren, Lunan, and Marta are there. If anything happens to them, our entire branch could be in trouble."

"Wow, just hearing that is scary."

"Control your expression. Absolutely... huh?"

Burkas's eyes widened as he saw blood spreading on the path to the village. Following the blood trail, he found a massive green body.

"Oh, an Ogre?"

A round, fierce face, a thick body like several logs bundled together, and powerful limbs. It was the corpse of an Ogre, known as the king of the forest.

"It's an Ogre!"

"An Ogre? Why is it here?"

"Two of them..."

The branch's swordsmen stopped in front of the Ogre's corpse and swallowed hard.

"Hmm..."

Burkas examined the Ogre's corpse and frowned. A single, precise strike had hit its vital points, the work of a master swordsman.

'Whether it's Eden or not, something definitely happened here.'

The dead Ogre, the blood, and traces of human blood and clothing suggested a significant event.

"Raise the alert to the highest level."

Burkas's eyes changed. He ran towards the village, and the branch's swordsmen followed with serious expressions.

Seeing the village entrance, which looked as if it had been trampled by a giant, they increased their speed. As they approached the center of the village, the trainees appeared before them.

"You... "

Burkas stopped speaking as he saw the trainees at the front.

'What is this...?'

Raon Zighart.

The seemingly frail boy's left arm hung limply, and there were fist-sized holes in his waist and thigh.

Despite the severe injuries, the boy didn't make a single sound of pain, and his eyes were as clear as a midnight lake.

The intense aura he exuded, even in his injured state, made him feel like he was facing a seasoned swordsman with many achievements.

"I am Raon Zighart, the top trainee of the Fifth Training Ground."

Raon bowed respectfully.

"Ah, y-yes. What exactly happened? Did the Eden really appear?"

Burkas stammered, taken aback by Raon's composed demeanor.

"Yes."

Raon threw two helmets at his feet.

One was the helmet of the Green-Eyed Demon, with an orc warrior's head depicted on it, and the other was the helmet of the Bloodthirsty Demon, with an Ogre's head carved on it.

"Bloodthirsty Demon and Green-Eyed Demon? You mean the Eden really appeared?"

"The Green-Eyed Demon was captured by us, but the Bloodthirsty Demon was captured by the instructor."

"Instructor?"

"Rimer Instructor."

"Ah..."

The Bloodthirsty Demon was a master-level warrior. The fact that Rimer, with his damaged dantian, had captured it was astonishing.

"Indeed, he is... Wait!"

Burkas's mouth dropped open. He was even more surprised by what he had just heard.

"You, you captured the Green-Eyed Demon?"

"Yes."

Raon nodded with a calm expression.

"How? How could you capture the Green-Eyed Demon?"

Capturing the Green-Eyed Demon was already surprising, but for trainees to capture it and the Green Demon was truly unbelievable.

"We captured it well."

"Tell me more in detail!"

"Well, the guy behind me will explain it better. I need to treat my injuries."

"Ah, right. You should."

Burkas nodded. Raon's injuries were indeed severe. For a normal person, it would have been a scene of chaos.

"Sevian, treat Raon."

"Ah, yes."

Sevian, the deputy chief and healer, who had been standing there in a daze, followed Raon.

"So, what exactly happened here? Tell me everything, without leaving anything out."

"Whether you believe it or not..."

Burren recounted everything that had happened, without any exaggeration or omission.

"Is that even possible...?"

Burkas's voice was hoarse and strained. The story was so unbelievable that it left him speechless.

"But it's the truth."

Burren, Lunan, Marta, and the other trainees all nodded.

"Phew..."

It was absurd.

'He caught the Green-Eyed Demon by grabbing its arm and eventually beheaded it?'

That was already astonishing. But what he heard next was even more shocking.

'He held off the Bloodthirsty Demon for nearly 10 minutes...?'

Burren said that after helping everyone escape, Raon had held off the Bloodthirsty Demon until Rimer appeared.

A 15-year-old trainee, who hadn't even qualified as a swordsman, had fought a master-level Bloodthirsty Demon. It was mind-boggling.

"Hmm..."

Burkas sighed and looked at the trainees. Their unwavering eyes confirmed that their story was true.

He turned to look at the house Raon had entered.

Swallowing hard, he thought that even Glen, the current head of the Zighart family, couldn't have faced a Bloodthirsty Demon at 15.

'Monster...'

That was the only word that came to mind. Raon Zighart was a monster, surpassing the concept of a genius.

* * * *

"Then, I'll go now."

Sevian, who had introduced himself as the deputy chief, finished applying medicine and bandages to Raon's body and stood up.

"Thank you."

"Ahh, no problem."

He waved his hand and left.

"Haa..."

Raon leaned against the wall, suppressing the pain.

'It feels like a dream.'

He still couldn't believe that he had cut down the Green-Eyed Demon and survived the Bloodthirsty Demon with this problematic body.

'I was lucky.'

He had been able to gain the upper hand against the Green-Eyed Demon thanks to the trainees distracting it, and his growth allowed him to survive the battle with the Bloodthirsty Demon.

If he had been a bit weaker, he would have been in mortal danger in both situations.

'But I grew stronger again.'

Raon clenched his fist. His abilities, experience, and level had all increased during the grueling fight with the Bloodthirsty Demon.

The difference between his self before coming to Sebu Village and now was like heaven and earth.

He was now firmly at the Lower Expert level in swordsmanship.

'So, you can't get stronger without suffering, huh?'

He had felt this since his previous life; you had to face the waves of crisis to get opportunities.

'And...'

Raon smiled and shook the ice flower bracelet containing Lars.

"Thanks to you, I was able to grow stronger again."

"Grrr..."

A blue flame erupted from the ice flower, and Lars appeared.

"I never made such a sloppy bet. You couldn't even kill that ignorant brute with the Ogre helmet!"

"That's not true."

Raon shook his head.

"Our bet was about the death of the Bloodthirsty Demon. It didn't matter who brought it down."

"Grrr, damn it!"

Lars was filled with intense anger. He lamented that the situation was too urgent to make a proper bet.

'Hmm...'

Raon didn't tease Lars as usual but frowned. He felt the depth of Lars's emotions more than usual.

'Maybe because I absorbed his anger.'

Absorbing Lars's anger made him more attuned to the demon's emotions.

'It's more dangerous than I thought.'

Even absorbing just 10 points of anger had a significant impact. He would need to be more cautious with his contract with Lars.

"Let's review it again."

Raon raised his voice slightly and recalled the previous message.

[You have won the bet with <Anger>.]

[All your abilities have increased by 3 points.]

[You have won your fourth bet with Anger.]

[Your abilities have increased further due to a four-win streak.]

[Strength has increased by 1 point.]

[Agility has increased by 2 points.]

[Stamina has increased by 1 point.]

His abilities had increased even more, just like when he won the third bet. It was a generous reward from Lars.

Grrr!

Raon clenched his fist. The simultaneous increase in his abilities made his muscles, which had felt weak, come alive.

"I never made such a damn bet!"

Lars shouted, accusing it of being a trick, and covered the room in cold air.

"You know it's not over yet."

[As the second reward for the bet, you gain a characteristic of <Anger>.]

[The characteristic has been determined.]

[You have gained the characteristic <Indomitable Will>.]