Chapter 87

Under the blue moon that gazed upon the world, Raon stood in the open space and unwrapped the bandages that had been covering his arms and legs. Although he wasn’t fully recovered, his wounds had mostly healed. It seemed he could start training without any major issues.

‘Then.’

After drawing upon the aura of the Manhwa Gong, he pushed off the ground with a sliding motion.

In an instant, Raon, who had been in the open space, reached the vicinity of the lake. Despite the speed of his movement, which even shadows couldn’t follow, his expression was not bright.

“Tsk.”

Raon clicked his tongue and narrowed his stance.

‘This isn’t it.’

The first step Glen had shown was vast, as if it could reach any corner of the continent, and free, allowing any movement.

Compared to the Taehwa Bo he had just performed, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

‘He said it was a step that could do anything.’

Glen described the Taehwa Bo as omnipotent and all-powerful. Although it seemed arrogant and boastful, seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t deny it.

‘Now isn’t the time to think about speed or power.’

His strength was nothing compared to Glen’s. Now was the time to lay the foundation for the bigger picture, not to imitate him.

‘Then, again.’

Raon used the Manhwa Gong and stepped the Taehwa Bo once more. Slow but heavy steps, like a fierce bull charging.

“This isn’t it either.”

Raon shook his head and readjusted his stance. Repeat, repeat, and repeat again. He practiced the Taehwa Bo until the moon set and the sun rose.

“Damn….”

Raon frowned as he looked at the rising sun. Even with the talent that enhanced his learning ability, mastering the Taehwa Bo was not easy.

To be honest, he still couldn’t grasp the essence of it.

‘Or, is it natural?’

The Taehwa Bo was a stepping technique that contained the insights of the continent’s strongest, Glen. It wouldn’t be easy for such an absolute martial art to reveal itself.

- After disturbing my sleep, you still haven’t mastered that stepping technique? I’m so disappointed, I could cry.

Ras, who had been quiet all night, jumped out of the bracelet and sneered.

- I immediately grasped the essence of that stepping technique, but humans are truly pitiful.

‘Yeah, you’re great.’

Raon sighed and sat on the ground. He felt exhausted from training all night without fully recovering.

- Huh, for a worm trying to look up at the sky, it’s only natural to find it difficult. Worms should only see the sky that suits them.

‘The sky that suits a worm…’

Raon muttered Ras’s words and looked at Bukmang Mountain behind the annex.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Rimer had told him a similar story on Bukmang Mountain. When talking about attributes, he said that the flow of one’s attribute was determined by oneself.

‘Then, is it the same for this stepping technique?’

He thought about the Taehwa Bo again. Glen’s Taehwa Bo transcended something. It wasn’t a stepping technique of the real world but seemed to transcend time and space, mysterious and profound.

‘I’m not at that level. I don’t even want to be.’

He shook his head. What he wanted wasn’t something unrealistic.

Just two things. Protecting the people in this annex and stabbing a knife into Delus Robert’s neck. That would be enough.

‘For that…’

Raon straightened his back and closed his eyes. He thought about the people he had to protect and the person he had to kill, and took a step.

Boom!

The resonance was different.

A fierce flow of mana from the circuits in his soles pierced through his body like a bolt of lightning. Freedom was infused into his advancing body.

A picture began to form.

The steps, etched with the freedom to protect the precious and to break the neck of an enemy, filled the canvas.

Huff.

Raon opened his eyes. His pupils burned brightly like the rising sun.

“…”

He looked down at the ground. Although his body didn’t move with the first step, his heart did.

This step was Shin (心), meaning it had to be infused with the heart to achieve.

The rough sketch of the Taehwa Bo he had been trying to achieve today was completed in an instant.

[You have learned the Taehwa Bo.]

[The Taehwa Bo (1-star) has been added to your characteristics.]

Raon clenched his fists tightly. The sense of achievement and joy from mastering the Taehwa Bo, which he thought he could never learn, was twice as great as usual.

[The speed of Taehwa Bo mastery has returned to its original state.]

Just as he mastered the Taehwa Bo, the learning ability that had helped him disappeared.

Seeing the sun slowly rise, it seemed the ability had only lasted for one night.

‘I’m glad I came out right away.’

Without that ability, he wouldn’t have mastered the Taehwa Bo in a day, let alone a year. It was the right decision to train despite his injuries.

- What is this….

Ras’s cold aura trembled violently like a candle in the wind.

- What did you do? How could you master it in such a short time!

“It was your words that were the key.”

- Key?

“You said that worms should see the sky that suits them.”

- What do you mean by that?

“I have my own will and goal, and Glen has his. I didn’t need to follow him exactly. So, I infused my own will into the stepping technique.”

He muttered that it worked because of that.

- Even so, that stepping technique shouldn’t have been so easy to master.

“You’re right. Your system’s ability to enhance the mastery of stepping techniques was a huge help. Come to think of it, I owe it all to you. Thank you.”

- Grr, I never….

Ras’s cold aura swelled up, as if about to explode.

“Don’t get so angry. I was just stating the facts.”

Raon smiled and waved his finger. Just as he was about to provoke Ras further to make him explode in anger, he heard a voice.

“Raon!”

Sylvia jumped over the window at the back of the annex, agile like Rimer.

“I told you to rest! What’s this?”

“Ugh.”

Raon sighed. Even the Demon King’s ruler wasn’t as scary as his mother.

* * *

Raon followed Sylvia, who looked even angrier than Ras, to her room.

“Raon, what did I tell you?”

“Um, well….”

Raon scratched the back of his head and avoided Sylvia’s gaze.

“I clearly told you to rest until your injuries heal!”

“It does seem like that….”

He remembered her words vividly but pretended not to.

“You really!”

Sylvia crossed her arms and frowned.

‘Ugh…’

When Sylvia was angry, it felt worse than fighting a Blood Fiend. Just listening to her nagging was so tiring, something he couldn’t understand.

“Raon.”

Sylvia bent down to meet his eye level. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern. Raon felt uncomfortable and lowered his head.

“Yeah.”

“I know why you’re so passionate about training.”

She continued, stroking his shoulder.

“You want to get strong quickly to protect me and this annex, don’t you?”

“…”

Raon remained silent, his lips trembling slightly. Was it because she was his mother or because they had spent so much time together? Sylvia knew exactly what he was thinking.

‘Of course, that’s not the only reason.’

Besides protecting Sylvia and the people in the annex, the desire for revenge was something no one else would know.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that you think this way.”

“That’s….”

“I don’t know how happy I was every time I heard that you became the top trainee, won sparring matches, and performed well in missions. But….”

Sylvia pressed her lips together and stroked his shoulder.

“You don’t need to perform so well for me. I told you, don’t worry about us, just do what you want.”

She smiled, a genuine smile without a single wrinkle. Her words were heartfelt, making his heart ache even more.

“I’ll say it again, I’m happier now than ever, so you don’t need to push yourself. Raon, walk at your own pace.”

In fact, his injuries were more than 80% healed. Moving his body a bit would actually be beneficial. Both he and Sylvia knew this.

But looking into her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

“…I understand.”

Raon nodded, his heart pounding.

“Is that a promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Good!”

Sylvia clapped her hands and stood up, smiling brightly, unlike a moment ago.

“Come in!”

“Yes!”

At her call, the door opened, and Helen and the other maids entered.

“Oh, what?”

Raon’s mouth dropped open. He knew there were maids outside, but he didn’t expect them to be called in.

“Did you hear everything? From today, if you see Raon training or doing anything physical, report it to me immediately.”

“Yes, Lady!”

The maids smiled and bowed.

“Ha.”

Raon shook his head and sighed.

“I’ve been caught….”

- Hahaha! It’s so satisfying to see you in this situation!

**

“Huff!”

Buren exhaled a heavy sigh, like a lump of lead.

‘My head is spinning.’

Just thinking about the day he clashed with Eden makes his face flush. He only had a loud voice but couldn’t do anything.

Thinking that he would have died if not for Raon, he felt only embarrassment and shame.

“I need to move my body.”

He headed to the small training ground in a corner of the main building, not wanting to meet anyone.

The small training ground was well-maintained. Buren drew his sword and swung it down.

Whoosh!

The sound of cutting through the air relieved his pent-up frustration. He felt satisfied and continued to swing his sword and step the Taehwa Bo.

How much time had passed?

When he came to his senses and looked up, he saw several swordsmen and trainees in the training ground.

“Huff….”

Buren wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and sheathed his sword.

‘My mind is clear now.’

Moving his body was the right choice. Unlike before, he had no thoughts.

‘I’ll go back…’

Just as he turned to return to the main hall,

“Buren-sama!”

“It’s been a while!”

The collateral branch children, who had failed the 5th training ground test and didn’t go to the 6th training ground due to their wounded pride, approached him.

“After going through such a difficult time, you’re already training?”

“You’re truly Buren-sama.”

The collateral branch members exclaimed, their eyes shining.

“I just came out because I was frustrated.”

“Frustrated? Ah! I see!”

The boy with a broad forehead on the right narrowed his eyes and nodded.

“So, that rumor was false!”

“What rumor?”

“The rumor that Raon killed the Green Front Demon and fought the Blood Fiend. It’s just a rumor, right?”

“I thought so too. It’s impossible for such a despicable person to cut down the Green Front Demon and buy time