He remembered losing consciousness because of the monsterâs pressure as it approached the castle. Since even his father was unable to stop it, the first thing he thought was that he was dead.
âHaa⊠It doesnât look like we are in the afterlife yet.â
The Wolf Mercenary Corps captain, Beto, pointed at the sky with a trembling finger. Even though the sun shouldâve risen a long time ago, the sky was still dark.
âThen, how did we manage to survive?â
âIâm not sure. I donât think we had anyone that could stop that monster.â
âTh-Thatâs!â
âYoung master!â
The Snow Strikers leader Edquill and Dorian suddenly stood up, looking up the castle wall.
âWhat did you⊠ah!â
Terianâs eyes widened upon following their gazes.
Under the sky, which was dyed with an intense darkness, a single swordsman was standing. He wasnât holding a sword, but he looked larger than any warrior in the world.
Whir!
The curtain of darkness covering the sky dissipated like a falling tide, and the golden sun that was hiding in fear appeared in the world.
The auspicious light spreading from Raon was such a mysterious sight to behold.
âR-RaonâŠâ
âSir Raon!â
âBut howâŠ?â
People woke up one after the other, shoulders trembling. They were excited by the fact that Raon had defended the castle on his own while everyone else remained unconscious.
Raon slowly turned his head. His face had a faint smile, yet it was also filled with exhaustion and pain. However, his eyes were looking around to confirm their safety instead.
âEveryoneâs safe.â
His voice sounded as dry as the desertâs sand.
âI kept my promise.â
Raon smiled brightly.
âP-Promise?â
âWhat promise is he talking about?â
âThat came from nowhereâŠâ
âAh!â
Dorian clapped his hands with trembling lips.
âSir Raon said it earlier! Survive, everyone! What he meant is that he kept that promise!â
âAh, that thingâŠâ
âI thought he meant we should do our best to survive, but did he actually mean that he would make us survive?â
âR-RaonâŠâ
âSir Raon!â
People bit their lips as they looked upon Raonâs gentle smile. They needed to do that in order to hold back their tears.
âHe wonât come back anymore, so you donât need to worâŠah.â
Raon started waving his hand, then stopped. He closed his eyes and collapsed on his back. The people at the base of the castle tried running towards him, but he was too far away.
âSir Raon!â
âItâs too dangerous!â
As Raonâs head was about to collide on the stone wall, a thick arm came up to hold him.
âHaaâŠâ
It was Milland. He regained his consciousness to stand up and pull Raon towards him.
âCommander!â
Milland nodded, telling them that he was alright, and helped Raon stand with his shoulder.
âThe battle is over.â
He walked to the end of the castle wall with difficulty.
âApplaud and cheer for the hero!â
Millandâs roaring voice struck hearts of those that were still confused about the situation.
âWoaaah!â
âRaon! Raon! Raon!â
âThe hero of Habun Castle!â
The cheers of his name that he couldnât hear kept resounding throughout Habun Castleâs sky.
* * *
Two days passed after the disaster named Sloth dropped by.
Raon hadnât woken up yet, and the officersâincluding Milland and Terianâwere gathered inside the conference room after a short rest.
âHow is everyoneâs condition?â
Sitting at the center of the round table, Milland skimmed through the officers. He was asking about the condition of the others, but he was the one in the worst shape. The skin under his eyes was completely black.
âI got better after some rest.â
Vice-commander Terian nodded.
âIâm fine, too.â
âMy head still hurts. Is it because I almost died?â
The Snow Strikers leader Edquill nodded, and Beto rubbed his temples.
The knight captains and the leaders of the swordsmen divisions also shook their heads, their faces pale from the remaining trauma.
âI donât have that many aftereffects, probably because I fainted so quickly.â
âSame. I just feel like I woke up from a quick nap. My body isnât in great shape, though.â
Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
On the other hand, the leaders of the scouting parties looked relatively fine.
âBut who the hell was that?â
The third scouting party leader, Radin, brought up the topic that no one else could bring themselves to mention.
âItâs obvious from the three horns and the fact that he was powerful enough to distort the area. He was a demon.â
Milland clasped his fist and continued.
âAnd he is at the highest rank, at that. I encountered demons a few times in my youth, but that was my first time seeing someone like that. He was on a completely different level.â
âIndeed, we werenât even a matchâŠâ
âI-Isnât a highest rank demon pretty much a demon king?â
The officerâs bodies trembled at the memory of Slothâs overwhelming power.
âHe might be a demon king.â
âWhat?â
âA-Are you serious?â
The officers swallowed harshly, mouths dry, upon hearing the phrase âdemon kingâ from Milland.
âDespite being a Master, I couldnât even hold out against him. Only the heads of the Six Kings and the Five Demons would be able to fight him.â
He frowned, remembering Sloth leading darkness towards them.
âThen who the hell is Sir Raon, who made that monster retreat?â
Edquill had been silent so far, but his voice now crossed the conference room.
âEveryone here was prepared to die. Noâto be honest, we were certain that we would die when the commander collapsed. However, everyone survived.â
Edquillâs eyes skimmed over the officers, including Milland, and continued.
âIâm sure everyone is aware of the fact that Sir Raon was the one that saved our lives.â
All the officers nodded in agreement.
âSo here is the question. How did Sir Raon save us against a monster that even the commander couldnât hold out against, and what method did he use to make him retreat?â
âIndeedâŠâ
âIâm also curious about how Iâm alive right now.â
âWhat the hell did he do?â
The officers licked their lips in wonder.
âAre you doubting Raon?â
âNo, Iâm not.â
Terian frowned at Edquill. However, Edquill simply shook his head.
âIâm saying this because I feel like Sir Raon has sacrificed something important to him.â
âSacrifice?â
âThereâs no way Sir Raon wouldâve won against that demon with power alone. The other possibility is a pact or a trade. In my opinion, Sir Raon probably saved the people in the castle by putting his soul and body on the block.â
Edquill bit his lip. Blood dripped from his dry lips.
âThe Raon that Iâve seen is that kind of man. He wants to save others, even if he has to sacrifice himself in the process.â
âHaaâŠâ
âHe certainly has that side to him.â
âSir RaonâŠâ
Terian and the officers agreed with Edquill, sighing heavily.
âI heard Raon mention a trade as I fell unconscious.â
Milland leaned forward and closed his eyes.
âTradeâŠâ
âA-Are you serious?â
âYes. Iâm not sure about the rest, but I heard the word trade for sure.â
âThenâŠâ
âDamn it!â
Edquill frowned, and Terian covered his eyes with his hand.
âA trade between a demon and a human is usually about power. The demon gives power to the human and takes his soul in return. However, the trade Raon made this time is obvious.â
Millandâs hand trembled on the table in frustration.
âHe mustâve sacrificed his soul to save everyoneâs lives.â
âThat must be the case.â
âDamn itâŠâ
Everyone grit their teeth and lowered their heads as they realized it.
âCommander.â
Edquill called Milland with a short breath.
âWho is Sir Raon? Itâs about time you tell us.â
âI guess I canât hide it anymore.â
Milland slowly nodded.
âRaon Zieghart. Thatâs his name.â
âSo, he was a Zieghart.â
âI seeâŠâ
âI suppose heâs gotta be at least a Zieghart.â
The officers werenât exactly surprised. They had high expectations for him to begin with because of everything heâd done so far.
âDid you know about it?â
âThe Six Kings and the Five Demons are the only places where a sixteen-year-old boy could gain that much might and willpower. Since Sir Raonâs personality is closer to good than evil, I thought he was from one of the Six Kings.â
âSince youâve learned that he is a Zieghart, are you going to give up on your revenge?â
âI never thought about revenge. I actually want to follow him.â
Edquill calmly shook his head.
âFollow him?â
âYou want to follow Sir Raon?â
âBut you got beaten up by Raon!â
The officers narrowed their eyes, trying to read into his words.
âI got completely beaten up, and that allowed me to come to my senses. If it wasnât for him, I wouldâve kept bullying the weak like a loser for the rest of my life.â
Edquillâs eyes were crystal clear as he stood up. He bowed at a 90-degree angle towards the scout leaders.
âI forgot the fact that they were my comrades in war and acted like an arrogant fool. I am deeply sorry.â
âHuh?â
âWh-Whatâs wrong with you? You apologized to us already!â
âThatâs right. You already apologized multiple times, so whyâŠ?â
âI figured I need to properly ask for forgiveness in an official event like this.â
Even though the scouts kept shaking their hands, he kept his head low before finally raising himself.
âI already decided to follow Raon before what happened today. Iâm going to follow him even if he refuses me. Commander, please expel this guilty person from the castle.â
Edquill knelt in front of Milland and lowered his head.
âYou are so hasty.â
Milland snorted and raised his chin.
âWhat?â
âYou arenât the only one who owes your life to him.â
All the officers nodded in agreement.
âRaon saved everyoneâs lives multiple times. Itâs only right for us to make up for what he lost.â
Milland smiled and made Edquill stand.
âIâll also support him.â
* * *
[Translator â Kyangi]
[Proofreader â Harley]
* * *
âHmmâŠâ
Raon slowly opened his eyes.
âWhatâs going on?â
He thought his body was broken because of the struggle against Sloth, but his limbs felt lightâas if heâd woken up from a deep sleep.
âHow strangeâŠâ
He tilted his head and stood up, wondering about the fact that his condition differed from his expectations. It wasnât just his body and mindâhis senses had also become sharper.
Strange? Is it really strange?
As he was about to conclude that it was because of the increase in stats, Wrath surged like a flaming pillar.
Your head is whatâs the strangest of them all! You dirty cheater!
Veins were popping around Wrathâs eyes. He was definitely angry.
âAh, thank you. I manage to survive because of you.â
What are you thanking me for?
âYou kept blabbering to me about Devildom. I havenât been paying much attention to it, but enough of your words still remain in my memory, so I could make use of it.
Y-You bastardâŠ
âMoreover, you gave me all the information about Sloth because you thought youâd won already. If it werenât for you, I wouldâve died for sure. You are really the giving tree, Wrath.â
Raon smiled cheerfully and waved his hand.
Kieeergh!
Wrath glared at him while spreading coldness.
Iâll kill you. Iâm going to stab your soul with an ice spear no matter what!
âSave that for later.â
Raon shook his hand at Wrath, who was trying to jump at him.
âIâm going to read the messages for now. I think I got something nice.â
You devil! You are the first one to cheat two demon kings at once since the creation of the world!
âAre there no cheaters in Devildom?â
If there were other people like you, the world wouldâve been ruined already!
âIs that so?â
Raon snickered and called up the previous messages.
[Youâve competed against a transcendental existence.]
[Your soul level has increased drastically.]
[All stats have increased by 4.]
Just from holding out in front of him, his soul level and stats had increased. He could once again feel how powerful Sloth was.
How does it make any sense that your soul level increased just from holding out for a few minutes?
âHmmâŠâ
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at Wrath, who was yelling at him.
âSo, he is at the same level as Sloth, or even stronger?â
He couldnât believe that a doormat like him, who only cared about food and complained about anything and everything, was as powerful as Sloth.
[The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivationâs rank has increased.
The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation has reached Four-Stars.]
The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation that had been Three-Stars had reached Four-Stars. That was the result of using it to the limit in order to hold out against Sloth.
He could feel that the hot sphere filling his energy center became bigger and more refined.
âThen, maybeâŠâ
He checked the next message.
[The Coldness of Frost and Glacier have been combined.
Glacier has reached Four-Stars.]
He knew it.
The Glacier that he used alongside the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation had combined with the Coldness of Frost and reached Four-Stars. The cold sphere located next to the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivationâs aura was also spreading more refined energy.
The Ring of Fire didnât increase in rank, but it also had a huge amount of accomplishment. It seemed he would obtain another ring soon enough.
âAfter all, fighting against a strong person is the fastest way to get stronger.â
The skill levels had increased at once just from facing a powerful existence with everything he had. Actual battle was truly the best way of training.
Huff!
He could hear Wrath trying to hold his breath. He was probably trying to suppress his boiling anger.
[The trait Sloth has been created.
Upon sleeping, you gain a small number of stats, and the recovery speed of stamina and aura is drastically increased.]
Upon reading that message. Raon and Wrathâs eyes both widened at the same time.
Th-This is crazy!
âI get stats from sleeping?â
Raon tried reading the message again, thinking that it was a mistake. However, it wasnât a mistake. It was written that he gained stats from sleeping.
âWowâŠâ
His mind went numb. Since it was supposed to be a small amount, it would only amount to some decimal number⊠but that was still pretty good. He could pretty much train 24 hours a day now.
Sloth! You idiot! I shouldâve killed you earlierrrr!
Wrath screamed, saying that letting Sloth live was his worst mistake in his life.
âThatâs why my body feels light.â
It was apparently Slothâs stamina and aura recovery ability that had completely healed his body. It was a useful ability in many ways.
However, the messages didnât end there.
[Youâve endured Wrathâs severe interference.]
[Water Resistance has increased.]
[Stamina has increased by 2.]
[Perception has increased by 2.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
âI was wondering why there were no message about that.â
It wouldâve been sad if he didn't get those messages.
Urrrgh. The King of Essenceâs stats are getting sucked out againâŠ
Wrath went limp on the corner of the bed, like clothes on the washing line. It was the classic appearance of a loser.
âThatâs why you shouldnât have interfered.â
Shut up. Thereâs no way I can hold back with you cheating using the King of Essenceâs name!
He raised his head, grinding his teeth.
You seriously scammed two demon kings at once! Even the hypocrites of the heavenly realm arenât as bad as you!
âIs that a compliment?â
You keep using that shitty earsâ name in your favor, and now you even used the King of Essence! Your evil deeds have gone too far!
Wrath raised his fist, saying something that a hero would say even though he was just a demon king.
The King of Essence will stop your wrongdoings no matter what!
âI donât care whether you stop me or not. HoweverâŠâ
Raon gathered four fingers and flicked them with a smile.
âGive me the reward for the bet. Right now.â
R-Reward for the bet?
âThe bet about whether Iâd leave this castle or not.â
AhâŠ
Wrathâs eyes lost focus, finally remembering it.
âSloth was the one you were counting on, right? Since he is now fast asleep while hugging the goblin kingâs magic stone, he wonât return here. Letâs end the bet now.â
Keu, w-wait!
Wrath shook his hand and leaped back.
Raon?
His voice became as soft as silk.
Do you remember when you saved the manager? You went outside back then, but the King of Essence overlooked it with his generosity.
âI remember, but I hope you arenât trying to make it even with that. It would be disappointing if the king of Devildom was that petty.â
Raon narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
âOf course he wouldnât be. The monarch of Wrath is a generous and aloof being that loves his subordinates. Thereâs no way he would say something like that.â
KeuhâŠ
Wrath wanted to say something, but he was just trembling his hand. It looked like what he was about to say had gone back into his throat.
âWhatâs up? Tell me what you were going to say.â
Raon smiled, urging him to continue with a nod.
Keuh! You're a starving demon! Eat them all, until your stomach bursts!
Wrathâs eyes were wavering, as if he were going to start crying at any moment.
[Youâve won the bet against Wrath.]
The blinking of the message window looked more beautiful than ever.