Indomitable Will

"Indomitable Will?"

Of all things...

Irritation laced Wrath's voice. He clearly wasn't pleased with a trait called Indomitable Will.

So it's a decent trait, then?

If Wrath hated it, it had to be a good one. Raon pulled up his status window with a flicker of anticipation.

After confirming that his stats had risen thanks to the rewards, he examined the newly acquired trait, Indomitable Will.

The moment he read the description, a low sound of appreciation escaped him. With this trait, he could endure Wrath's fury the same way he had before.

"Luck's on my side."

It isn't luck. It's because the system This King created is exceptional.

Wrath glared at the message, grinding his teeth.

Being too well-made is a problem in itself.

When he'd first built that system, he'd designed traits to generate according to whatever ability was most needed at the time. That same generation condition had applied to Raon, producing Indomitable Will — precisely the trait he needed most right now.

Tch.

Irritation flared hot and sharp.

I thought I could finally take him...

Raon had accepted the emotion of wrath, and at last a blade that could cut him had been forged — only for that trait to send everything back to square one.

Haa...

Wrath forced the boiling emotion down. He was done being stupid enough to rage and inflate the brat's stats.

There's plenty of time.

His power was recovering a little faster with each passing day, and he'd already planted the emotion of wrath inside Raon. The boy was growing quickly for a human, but in the end, the victor would be him.

Wrath stared at Raon with eyes gone ice-cold.

"Tsk, tsk."

Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at Wrath.

"That face of yours. You're thinking something stupid again."

The one thinking stupid thoughts is you. How could a mere human possibly comprehend This King's lofty and noble mind?

"It's obvious. You swore you'd wait it out, devour my body, and lock my soul in a glacier."

Ghk!

Wrath's mouth fell open.

You. Have you learned mind-reading as well?!

"After everything I've seen and heard, it'd be stranger if I didn't know. Your thoughts and your movements are all in the palm of my hand."

Raon spread his long right hand wide and gave it a little shake.

A mere human dares—!

Wrath completely forgot the vow he'd made mere moments ago not to take Raon's bait, and his rage exploded.

A roar of frost crashed down. Wrath's cold, a full rank more powerful than before, surged toward Raon in a tidal wave.

"Nngh."

Raon bit down on the inside of his lip.

This is no joke...

Even accounting for his injuries, the pain was far worse than before. It felt like his entire body was being pierced by razor-sharp icicles. His Water Attribute Resistance was at 4-Star, and it still hurt this badly. Accepting Wrath's fury was an extremely dangerous thing.

"Hhh..."

He resonated the four Rings of Fire and endured, grinding his teeth until they threatened to crack.

With those messages, the pain crushing his mind and body began to recede dramatically.

GRAAAAH! Today This King will sever this cursed bond with you!

Wrath poured everything he had into wrath and frost, but holding on was no harder than it had been before Raon accepted his emotion.

His mind grew a little clearer with the messages.

Damn it. How—what the hell is going on?!

Wrath tore himself free of Raon's body, hurling a torrent of curses. He sounded less like the Monarch of Wrath and more like some street thug.

"I told you."

Raon gave a faint smile and waved his right hand.

"You can't beat me. I can see right through you."

That didn't mean he was at ease.

His power is growing faster.

Wrath's energy was getting stronger by the day. If Raon didn't grow faster than him, he'd eventually be consumed.

"Haa."

Khhh!

Raon and Wrath stood at the closest possible distance, each ready to devour the other.

The next day, Raon didn't wake until nearly noon. When he finally stepped outside, he found that a little restoration work had already been done. The branch's swordsmen and the trainees had apparently spent the night and morning putting the village back in order.

"You're up."

Branch Leader Burkas, who had been standing near the palisade, came toward him. The look in his eyes was different from yesterday — as if he were regarding some mysterious creature. Word had clearly reached him that Raon had cut down the Green Thunder Demon and fought the Blood-Crazed Demon.

"How's the body?"

"Much better."

Raon nodded slowly. He had no idea what Rimer had sprinkled on him, but the broken bones were knitting, and flesh was filling back in over the torn muscle of his waist and thighs. If he focused on recovery once they returned, he ought to be back to normal before long.

"You did something extraordinary. Cutting down the Green Thunder Demon at fifteen and surviving a fight with the Blood-Crazed Demon — calling it an achievement wouldn't be overstating it."

Burkas swallowed dryly and gave him a thumbs-up.

No. It's more than an achievement.

If you told anyone that a trainee who hadn't even become a swordsman yet had slain Eden's Green Thunder Demon and fought the Blood-Crazed Demon for roughly ten minutes, not a soul would believe you. Even if they carried this news back to the family, most people would assume it was a lie.

Burkas studied the bandaged Raon more closely. Despite injuries that severe, there was no pain on his face, and not a single sound of weakness left his mouth. What in the world had a boy that age ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gone through to possess that kind of endurance and that kind of power? It was astonishing.

"We'll take over here. Lead the trainees back to the family. We've made temporary arrangements, but there are plenty of badly wounded among you — yourself included. Go home and get proper treatment."

"Understood. Thank you for thinking of us."

"We're both Zieghart, aren't we?"

Burkas smiled faintly and waved him off.

"Then."

Raon dipped his head slightly and headed toward the other trainees.

Burkas watched his retreating back in a daze.

Holding out against the Blood-Crazed Demon...

Even he, an Expert Mid-Class, wasn't confident he could last five minutes against that thing. That Raon had sent the trainees running and then fought alone for ten minutes was as moving as it was astonishing.

He looks so large.

The small back of a boy who looked less than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠half his age seemed impossibly broad.

Either way.

Burkas looked up at the sun hanging in the center of the sky and smiled.

The family's going to be in an uproar.

"Raon."

Runaan came trotting toward him like a puppy that had spotted a treat. She looked him over from head to toe, then let her eyes droop.

"Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine now."

Raon shook his head and smiled. It wasn't a lie — the pain really had receded a great deal.

"Really?"

"You don't have to worry anymore."

"Mm."

The corner of Runaan's mouth lifted, just barely. Even she seemed to be getting a little better at showing what she felt.

"We need to head back to the family. Tell everyone to get ready to leave."

"Okay."

She nodded firmly and ran off toward the other trainees.

"We're heading back already?"

Burren, who had been watching, approached quietly.

"Yeah. The branch leader said he'd handle the aftermath, so we should go."

"Hah. And where the hell did our instructor disappear to?"

Burren scowled and kicked at the ground.

"Are you actually all right?"

"The injuries haven't healed, but I've entered recovery."

"Get better for real. I have to beat you at your best."

"Even after seeing that?"

"Because I saw that."

His blue eyes didn't so much as flicker, as if a stone had been set in them.

A hard will had settled into his voice as well. Burren seemed to have grown another step through this mission.

"And."

"Hm?"

"I shut the mouths of everyone who knows you have frost aura. You saved their lives. Nobody's going to talk."

"Ah."

Raon's mouth rounded slightly.

He thought that far ahead?

He'd assumed it was only a matter of time before people found out he had two kinds of aura. Apparently Burren had already gagged the trainees. It was so unexpected he didn't know what to say.

"Don't look so surprised. I owe you my life. I just did what I could."

Burren scratched the bridge of his nose and turned away.

"I'll handle the departure. You rest."

With that, he headed toward the other trainees.

Can a person change that much?

Burren was unrecognizable from the boy overflowing with jealousy Raon had first met. Maybe the miracle of the 5th Training Ground wasn't Raon at all. Maybe it was him.

Raon packed his things and made his way toward the center of the village.

"That side needs a proper repair, so just stack the timber for now!"

The village chief, still nursing light wounds, was giving instructions to the villagers.

"If you stack it too high it's dangerous, so put it to the si— ah! Benefactor!"

He spotted Raon and came running.

"A-are you all right? Because of me, you took such terrible injuries..."

"It wasn't your fault, Chief."

"You took that monster's blow to save this worthless old man. I don't even know how to thank you."

The village chief dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

Raon looked down at the man thanking him and thought back to the first moment with the Blood-Crazed Demon.

Back then...

The instant the Blood-Crazed Demon attacked, his body had moved on its own — wrapping around the chief and pulling him back. He'd known he would be hurt, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his body had moved first anyway.

Why did I do that?

If you looked at it coldly, it had been unnecessary. He'd already received the Goblin King's magic stone from the chief and heard his circumstances. There had been no particular reason to save him. And yet he had, even at the cost of his own injuries.

I'm changing.

Whether it was because of Sylvia, or Rimer, or the children, or the world around him — one way or another, he was changing. And he didn't dislike the change. It felt like clothes of emotion were being draped over a hollow wooden doll.

"Please stand up."

Raon smiled faintly and helped the trembling chief to his feet. Gratitude and emotion shone in the old man's faded eyes.

"As I said, I'll be taking this gem. I can't be certain, but it may be what drew them here."

"Of course!"

The village chief nodded so hard his head bounced.

"Don't bring it up first. If anyone comes looking for the gem, tell them House Zieghart took it along with a few other items."

"Understood!"

The chief nodded as if receiving a divine revelation.

Why put it that way? Why not just tell him everything?

He's better off not knowing.

It wasn't only this gem. By taking other things as well, they would erase any information that Eden had been after the stone specifically.

This information's going to sell for a high price.

Raon grinned. He wasn't about to miss a chance to sell Glenn intel on Eden at a premium.

The trainees left the village amid the enthusiastic cheers of every last villager. Burren led them from the front in place of the injured Raon, and Runaan trailed after Raon like a duckling. Marta walked alone as usual, though her eyes had gone cloudy, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.

Raon took a position in the center of the group and watched their surroundings with care.

My perception's expanded thanks to the stats.

Between the merit of slaying the Green Thunder Demon, the merit of standing against the Blood-Crazed Demon, and the stats he'd wrung out of Wrath, his perception had risen considerably. His sensory range was wider than before, and picking up a hidden presence had become that much easier. At this rate, even if the Crimson-Eyed Demon were lurking somewhere, he felt he could pinpoint the location in no time.

He kept stretching his aura sense, bracing for a possible Eden ambush — and a single person caught in it.

Rimer!

He felt that distinctive, refreshing wind that belonged to Rimer. The man hadn't gone back. He was still watching over the trainees.

Well. Of course he is.

There was always the chance of an attack from Eden or some other faction. That he had stayed behind was as obvious as looking at the sun.

Then, all at once, Rimer's presence snuffed out like a candle. He'd apparently sensed that Raon had noticed him.

What an odd man.

Raon chuckled softly, withdrew his aura sense, and followed after the trainees.

A short while later, Rimer dropped down from a tree along the path the trainees had taken. He shook his head with a look of pure exasperation.

"That monster of a kid..."

Even granting that Raon had grown at a frankly absurd rate over the past few days, Rimer had never expected the boy to detect him when he was properly concealed.

"I wonder how he'll react when I tell him this news?"

He pictured Glenn's solemn face and grinned.