The Elixir's Bitter Aftertaste
When night fell, the only one standing with both feet on the Fifth Training Ground was Raon alone.
"Let's keep the sparring as is, and have the training ground repaired anew."
Raon looked at the panting swordsmen who had come out and the neatly maintained training ground and smirked.
"Perhaps I should thank the Tempest."
"..."
"..."
"Damn it!"
The cheerful voice of Raon made the swordsmen, especially the thirty who had wrecked the training ground yesterday, clench their soft molding soil and shed tears of blood.
"..."
Rimer, who had been dozing on the stage, wiped his drool and sat up.
"Is it over now?"
"Yes."
"Ugh, scary. I'm terrified."
He trembled as he looked at the swordsmen sprawled on the floor.
"Being my superior must be quite fortunate for you."
Rimer laughed wickedly and patted Raon's shoulder.
"It won't last long."
"Huh? What?"
Raon smiled without answering. What else? There wasn't much time left to torment Rimer from above.
He wanted to grow quickly, advance, to block Rimer's tricks and roll him over.
"Smiling seems ominous..."
Rimer wiped sweat and turned his body.
"Anyway, I'm leaving. Don't push yourselves too hard and go back."
The swordsmen who had already pushed themselves couldn't answer and just lay there dazed.
"Ra, Raon..."
Burren shuddered like leaves in the wind and stood up.
"Training is good. Really good. H, but don't we need to do sparring every day? There's also footwork training, we can refine sword techniques, train our stamina or body. Or group inspection training."
He clasped his hands as if praying or seeking forgiveness and continued.
"Since we've done enough sparring for the past month, let's try something else. As you said, I want systematic and varied training!"
"What are you saying?"
Raon tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
"What training is more systematic than sparring?"
"Is it that systematic training has frozen you to death? Beating the crap out of each other all day isn't training!"
"Listen carefully. First, while being hit in the sparring ground, your body gets trained, and by avoiding my attacks, your stamina increases. Plus, you stay up all night practicing sword techniques and footwork to not get hit."
Burren spread his fingers and pointed out what Raon wanted.
"Body training, stamina enhancement, sword and footwork training. Everything you said is included in sparring. There's no more systematic training than this."
"Wha, what nonsense! Sword and footwork are separate training, and getting hit doesn't train the body, does it?!"
"That's right! Training is bullshit! Even if you get hit for a month, it doesn't reduce the pain!"
"That's not training, it's desperation to not die!"
Burren shouted at the top of his lungs. Other swordsmen stood up and raised their hands in agreement.
"Originally, living beings become strongest when they feel the threat to their lives. Just endure a little."
"Wha, living beings. We've already seen you as humans!"
"Damn! It doesn't make sense! It's like talking to a wall!"
"Damn it!"
The swordsmen hit the ground with their fists and cursed. Since they didn't have strength, not much dust flew, making them a bit pitiful.
But currently, the training was at a lower intensity than what he had received.
In his previous life, he had received attacks that broke bones or caused permanent damage, but he never did attacks that left aftereffects.
"Then, from now on..."
"Keep sparring."
"Uwaaa!"
"Kyaak."
"Shit..."
Burren shook his head in despair, Runaan let out a quiet whimper, and Marta was the first to spill a powerless curse.
Raon sent all the swordsmen away and stood alone on the training ground, pulling out the Heavenly Sky Sword.
Srrring.
With the resolve to cut his own shadow reflected in the moon, he drew the Heavenly Sky Sword.
Whoong!
Without stepping into any sword technique or footwork, the Heavenly Sky Sword vibrated softly as if executing a profound sword technique, carving a silver trajectory between the shadows.
Following the heartbeat in his heart, not his head. The solemnity of the moonlight alone on the pure white blade of the Heavenly Sky Sword lingered, extending a majestic sword light.
What was contained in that sword was the sword arts, sword formulas, and breathing he had honed until now.
The attributes of the sword techniques that hadn't harmonized were slightly mixing, creating a sword soul different from before.
To a killer, it would be a sword carrying death; to a knight, a straight and just sword; to a dancer, an elegant sword dance — a mysterious sword.
"..."
Raon stopped only when the hazy moonlight flowed down to his shoulders.
'I've grown.'
He thought he was at a standstill, but rather, his realm had risen. The training started to grow the swordsmen, but the one who advanced the most was himself.
"Amazing how this happened."
He had been happily beating up the gradually strengthening swordsmen, and the achievement of martial arts was rising — a strange thing.
It seemed like his trait was to grow by beating others, just like Sloth growing while sleeping.
"Should I beat them a bit more?"
Raon put away the Heavenly Sky Sword and chuckled.
- That remark.
Wrath nodded and pointed with his finger.
- Exactly our side.
"No way!"
Garon, with his feet propped on the desk, was approached by Vice Commander Tekri.
His limbs were broken but mended, but the shattered cheekbones hadn't recovered yet, so his face was wrapped in a large bandage.
Kwoong!
Tekri knelt before Garon and bowed his head.
"I'm sorry!"
Even though his shattered cheekbone touched the ground, he didn't lift his face.
"I was careless! I won't do that again, please forgive me!"
"Do you know what is the one thing I hate the most?"
Garon stood up with a cool smile.
"Carelessness. Carelessness."
"Ah..."
"Those idiots keep saying 'I lost because I was careless', 'If I hadn't been careless, I would have won', 'Because of carelessness'. Do you know what that really means? Lack of skill?"
As his smile deepened, the swords embedded in the commander's room rang with killing intent.
"..."
Tekri's complexion turned pale.
"If you have overwhelming strength, whether you are careless or not, whether the opponent is crazy or not, you can kill them. You are just weak."
"S, sorry..."
"At a time when you need to build your reputation, not just embarrassing but utterly humiliating you. Tell me the reason why I shouldn't cut off your neck right now."
Garon pulled out a sword stuck in the wall as if about to kill and pointed it at Tekri's neck.
"This time, I'll use all my power from the start. Raon Zieghart. I'll bury that arrogant bastard with my own hands, so please give me one chance!"
Tekri, with blood bursting from his cheek and forehead, didn't stop and kept banging his head on the marble floor.
"He got knocked out with one punch and is talking nonsense!"
"It's because it's a punch. I won't lose with sword techniques!"
Raon is indeed a monster with ominous aura, but that's when facing fists. If he holds a sword, he would avenge this humiliation.
"..."
Garon slowly lowered the sword he seemed about to swing.
"I'll dissect him with the sword technique I received from the Commander! Give me one last chance!"
"Okay. Since I did put some effort into you, it's a pity to discard you like this."
"Ah, th, thank you!"
"But!"
Garon's eyes glaring at Tekri sparkled like a demon.
"If you lose this time too, you'll be the one dissected."
Rimer visited the Lord's Palace audience chamber for the first time in a long while upon Glenn's call.
"Seeing your cheeks plump and full, it seems your life is easy."
Glenn frowned at Rimer's puffy cheeks.
"You didn't catch a rabbit or something, what kind of talk is that."
Rimer trembled as if scared.
"What did you do to get your cheeks so plump? Are you not training the kids and just eating and sleeping nowadays?"
"Because I had nothing to do."
"Nothing to do?"
"Yes. Actually, Raon..."
He told Glenn about the events that happened over the past month.
"...So our kids are getting beaten up happily every day."
"Is there no rebellion?"
Glenn tilted his head slightly and asked.
"Of course there is. Not coming out, running away, hiding training logs, and last week, they completely destroyed the training ground."
"What did Raon do?"
"He broke all those plans. Immediately brought soil to repair the training ground, stole the training logs by turning Dorian's pouch, and for the ones faking illness, I don't know how I handled them, but they came back terrified."
Rimer giggled, saying Raon was really amazing.
"The kids' skills have definitely improved."
"Yes. By training to not die every day, they've become unrecognizably strong, like fireflies turning into moonlight."
"Is that much?"
"Even the martial arts given by the Lord has become familiar, so it's not an exaggeration to say they've become completely different people. Of course, they themselves keep getting beaten, so they don't know."
"If you say that, I want to see it once."
Glenn nodded, saying he would have to see it on the day of the duel. His hardened lips slightly relaxed.
"Raon looks more and more like a monster."
Rimer smiled faintly and continued.
"I thought he was a genius specialized in growing stronger, but it wasn't that. The guy has talent in raising others too. As expected, my disciple is definitely the king's caliber."
"Before being my disciple, he is my grandson."
"My disciple first?"
"What nonsense!"
The smiles on the two faces who had been smiling at Raon's greatness a moment ago turned to wrinkles.
"Usually not treating his grandson like a grandson, what! If you're going to say that, don't be ashamed and go in front of Raon and say 'I'm your loving grandson! This old man wants to hug you!' ... Ah!"
Rimer quickly shook his head at the dark clouds spreading over his head.
"Ah, no! He is the Lord's grandson! Yes!"
If he got hit again this time, he might really die. He had to avoid it at all costs.
Whoooooong!
When he apologized, the clouds that seemed about to drop lightning subsided.
"Then there are no special issues."
"No. There is a problem."
Rimer simply said the word 'problem' without hesitation.
"What problem is there?"
"Of course, the trainees. The stress accumulated for over a month has almost reached its peak. Soon, they'll say 'kill me' and rebel."
The Light Wind Squad's spirit, who trained at night and got beaten during the day, was almost at its limit. They were one step away from losing rationality.
"What is Raon doing about it?"
"There is no way not to know, but he didn't do anything. Rather, he's making it even worse."
Rimer narrowed his eyes.
"Like he's telling them to rebel somewhere."
Before dawn, when the sun didn't rise.
The swordsmen of the Light Wind Squad, who had been full of energy, had become real zombies, dragging their feet, with unfocused eyes. Both stamina and mental strength had reached their limit.
"I'm dead."
"Yeah..."
"Shit..."
Even Burren, Runaan, and Marta with strong mental strength were no different. They held on a bit longer than others but soon staggered like the rest.
"Um, um, Burren-nim..."
Crain approached Burren and collapsed.
"If this continues, we'll really die."
"So what do we do?"
"Let's strike? Strike?"
"Yes. Ignoring what the vice commander says and just lying down."
He raised his voice so everyone could hear. The interested swordsmen slowly turned their heads.
"If we do that, what if we get hit more?"
"More hits? We're getting hit every day, every moment, what more can we get? Besides, this isn't because we want to rest, but because we want to live!"
Crain pointed at the swordsmen with his finger.
"Look at the kids. Is this the complexion of a 10-year-old who should be full of energy? They're all running out of strength and dying! Let's ask for a few days of rest to live! This way, we'll die or get seriously injured."
"..."
Burren bit his lip. Due to previous events, Crain's words weren't trustworthy, but this one was true.
Since he, Runaan, and Marta had reached their limit, the other swordsmen would be even more exhausted. If they continued, they might get seriously injured and not recover.
"The vice commander is strong, but in terms of training, he's clearly a beginner. If he gave a whip, he should give a carrot too, but he's only been giving whips."
"That's right."
As Crain said, Raon had whipped for two months. Even a horse would have died and died again.
"If everyone lies down because they can't move due to lack of stamina, the vice commander will also surrender."
"Yes. Let's try it once."
"I, I agree."
"Now I really can't."
"Crain's words are hard to hear, but this is true."
"If we all lie down and say we're out, the vice commander will have no choice."
Burren and Crain were surrounded by swordsmen. Among them were Runaan, Marta, and Dorian.
The three of them had also not slept properly for two months, so they could do anything if they got rest.
"Then, when Raon comes, we'll all lie down and not move. Traitors will be executed!"
"Yes!"
"Yeah."
"Got it."
The 33 members of the Light Wind Squad, excluding Raon and Rimer, became one in mind for the first time.
A short while later, when morning training time came, Raon entered with a large cloth bag. He looked at the swordsmen lying on the training ground and frowned.
"What are you doing now?"
"Now I really can't."
"I can't even move a finger."
"It's the limit. The limit."
"I think I'm going to die..."
The swordsmen complained while lying down that they couldn't get up.
"I want to train hard, but I have no stamina or strength. I'm out of energy."
Burren pointed to his half-closed eyes and continued.
"Give us rest. Or just kill us."
All the swordsmen lying on the training ground, following him, spread their limbs to make 33 big characters.
"Then, if we have stamina and energy, we can continue training?"
"Of course. So, we need at least 3 days of rest."
"Less than 3 days is absolutely not possible. Always more than 3 days!"
"Agreed!"
The swordsmen, including Burren, really wanted to train, but since they lacked stamina and strength, they shouted for rest.
"Stamina, good."
Raon took off the cloth bag he had on his back and unfolded it. More than 30 wooden boxes poured out.
"The second request for the elixir list from Forvan City has arrived."
He showed the swordsmen the wooden box containing the elixir list and smiled faintly. That smile was clearly bright and refreshing, but it felt eerie like a demon's smile.
"Eh, elixir?"
"Why is it coming now...?"
"Eww, what is this..."
The swordsmen became expressions they couldn't laugh or cry at upon seeing the wooden box with the elixir.
It was happy to get the elixir, but upon eating it, they realized their stamina and energy would recover and they would be beaten again.
"If you eat the elixir, your stamina and energy will recover, so you can continue training, right?"
Raon looked at the trembling swordsmen with a grotesque expression and chuckled.
'You're all seeing through me.'
Of course, the elixir wasn't coming now. It came with the molding soil, and because he thought something like this would happen, he had hidden it until now.
"..."
"Damn! Damn it! Damn it!"
Burren cursed and stood up, grabbing the elixir. He resented the timing; why did it come at this moment when he was told there would be no carrots, and instead, dirty carrots were given. Carrots with poison!
"..."
"It's over. I'll have to get hit again."
"I can't run away. I can't see an escape hole!"
"Gods don't exist."
The swordsmen bit their lips while holding the elixir box. Happy to receive the elixir, but thinking they would be beaten again, tears welled up in their eyes.
"Uh, there's no choice. Everyone, eat the elixir and gather here again..."
"Wait."
When Burren was about to tell the swordsmen to eat the elixir and come back, Raon raised his hand.
"You can't eat that now."
"What? What does that mean..."
"The elixir list must be eaten after using up all stamina and aura for better effect, right? Train with me during the day, and eat it tonight."
Raon smiled and tapped the floor as if urging quick arrival.
"To maximize the effect of the elixir, I need to give you some strength today too."
His training sword spun like a windmill. The wind pressure from the blade made his teeth tremble.
"What are you doing? Come quickly."
"Ah..."
Seeing Raon's gentle gesture, Burren was convinced.
'That guy is a demon.'
Not just a demon, but definitely a Demon King!
Three months of talk and trouble passed, and the morning of the duel between the Light Wind Squad and the Gold Peak Squad dawned.
The Great Training Ground where the duel would take place was already full of people before the start, with no room to step.
"Who will win today?"
"What does it matter. Naturally, the Gold Peak Squad. Even if the Light Wind Squad is holy, the name of the squad is different."
"Who knows what the Gold Peak Squad's mission is? Now it's the era of the Light Wind Squad."
"Today is not about fame, but a battle of strength. The Gold Peak Squad with higher martial power has no choice but to have the advantage."
"35 matches. Roughly 30:5, the Gold Peak Squad will win."
"Raon Zieghart who defeated the apostles is in the Light Wind Squad!"
"Raon is just one person. Even if they win, it won't have a big impact."
The people sitting in the spectator seats, even if they didn't know each other, were talking about who would win the upcoming duel, expecting it.
Most recognized the Light Wind Squad's potential but predicted the Gold Peak Squad's victory.
Just as everyone was excited about today's sparring, the entrance of the Great Training Ground opened and the Gold Peak Squad entered.
"Doesn't that aura feel intense? They seem like they'll lose to the Light Wind Squad who aren't even adults yet?"
"Their fame would have been higher than the Light Wind Squad if they hadn't been active."
"Yeah. Their eyes are scary. They have an aura of devouring."
The people felt the intense aura from the Gold Peak Squad and became confident in their judgment.
Kugugug!
Not long after the Gold Peak Squad entered, the entrance opened for the second time and the Light Wind Squad entered.
Unlike the Gold Peak Squad, they didn't have confident or spirited aura. Rather, they quietly headed to the sparring ground as if uneasy.
"Why are they like that?"
"Too little spirit?"
"Did they get scared by the Gold Peak Squad's aura?"
"Yeah, they must have known they were opponents several levels above."
"Damn! I bet all my assets on the Light Wind Squad trusting Raon!"
"Looking at this, it won't end well."
The people, seeing the drooping spirit of the Light Wind Squad, were talking that today's duel would end boringly.
Raon, enjoying the reactions of the spectators, smiled while looking around the training ground.
"That is correct. It will end boringly."
Because it will end with a victory.