Dorian immediately ran out of the scout's quarters to climb the central tower, which was the tallest building in Habun Castle.
âHuh? Dorian?â
âWhy did you come here?â
The eyes of the guards, who were keeping watch at the highest floor of the tower, widened.
âW-We donât have time for that!â
Dorian shook his head and ran towards the alarming bell to strike it.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
The bell rang five times in no time, and the highest level of alert was activated, which was the same level as the waves.
âA-Are you crazy?â
âGod damn it!â
The guards tried to pull Dorianâs arm, but it was already too late. The soldiers that were resting or sleeping came running towards the central tower.
âWh-Whatâs going on?â
âWhy did you ring the alarm? Whatâs happening?â
âFive times means that itâs a wave!â
âThatâs Dorian! Why are you over there?â
The soldiersâ eyes widened upon finding Dorian ringing the alarming bell.
âMonsters! The monsters are swarming from the west!â
Dorian repeated what Raon told him, as he kept ringing the bell.
ââMonsters? What kind of nonsense is that?â
âWhy the hell would there be monsters in the west?â
âYou idiot! All the monsters in the surroundings submitted to the lord!â
âDid you have a nightmare or something? Come down from there already!â
The Snow Strikers and the soldiers gestured for him to come down while cursing at him.
âDorian!â
âStop it right now!â
âSir Raon!â
While the guards were trying to stop him, Dorian opened his mouth once again.
âSir Raon said it! He said the monsters are coming from the west! There arenât as many as the wave, but there are a lot of them!â
âGasp! Sir Raon did?â
âIf itâs him, then i-itâs possible.â
âItâs not just possible, itâs a fact!â
âMove quickly!â
âPrepare to defend!â
âRing the alarm again!â
The soldiers and Snow Strikers swallowed hard and immediately started moving as soon as they heard Raonâs name.
âMonsters? What kind of monsters are you talking about?â
Terian, who came out late, yelled at him.
âYes, what monsters are there? We need to prepare differently depending on their kind.â
âJust like the wave, they are a mixture of trolls, orcs, and ocean monsters. AndâŠâ
Dorian caught his breath and continued.
âHe said there are two demons of Eden among them!â
âE-Eden? The Eden of the Five Demons?â
âAre you saying that those crazy bastards are attacking us right now?â
âThatâs impossible! Thereâs no reason for them to be here!â
âBullshit!â
The soldiersâ jaws dropped. Even though they could believe that monsters were attacking, they shook their heads in disbelief upon hearing that Eden was coming.
âArgh, seriously! Itâs not me, but Sir Raon that said it! He is the one that said Eden is coming, too!â
âThen it must be true. Prepare for battle! Open the armory!â
As soon as Dorian mentioned Raonâs name, Terian ordered them to prepare to fight without any hesitation.
âIf Raon said it, then it must be true! Move quickly!â
âEden is coming! Prepare the defenses faster!â
âTake the spears and swords, line them up on the castle walls!â
âBoil the oil, prepare boulders and logs! Lay out the arrows on the ground!â
The soldiers also started moving quickly, no longer doubting him upon hearing that it was Raon that said it.
ââŠâŠâ
Dorian wrinkled his nose as he watched the soldiers and swordsmen spreading out in all directions.
âI wanna go home.â
It was irritating to see people that didnât trust him at all start moving as soon as he mentioned Raonâs name.
âIt canât be helped.â
Hiding his sorrow, he climbed the castle walls. Raonâs pressure felt like flowing water as he glared towards the west.
âHmmâŠâ
Dorian swallowed harshly. Watching Raon standing on the castle gate made his anxiousness disappear, just like when Milland was holding the ground.
âIs he a real monster?â
Even his weak self could feel it. Raon had progressed once again. Dorianâs breath was unconsciously filled with surprise.
Thanks to Raonâs quick instruction, Habun Castle was ready to fight before the enemies arrived.
The infantry and pikemen were on the castle walls with the archers and the Snow Strikers behind them, just like during the wave.
âHmm.â
Dorian licked his lips, turning to look behind him.
âItâs strange.â
He thought the Snow Strikers leader, Edquill, would say something to Raon since Terian wasnât thereâhe was preparing the defensesâbut Edquill was actually more docile than the soldiers.
He was just staring to the west, as if he trusted what Raon said. Dorian realized once again that Raonâs presence surpassed his imagination, since he was capable of changing someone as vulgar as Edquill.
Whir!
Raonâs pressure suddenly changed as he stared to the west. The flow of aura that used to be smooth like a stream became a fierce tidal wave and soared.
âThey are coming.â
Dorian looked to the west upon hearing his low voice. The thin forest was collapsing and the monsters were swarming like a landslide.
In the middle of the green and blue wave, there were two monster men wearing ghastly masks and helmets. They were the Blue Shamanic Demon and the Voracious Ice Demon, who were the puppets of Eden.
âI-It was true.â
âEden really is here!â
âThe B-Blue Shamanic DemonâŠâ
âThatâs the Voracious Ice Demon!â
âUghâŠâ
Upon witnessing the Edenâs demons and the advance of monsters even fiercer than the wave, the soldiers were agitated and their morale wavered.
âW-Wait! Thatâs a lord behind them! The ice troll lord!â
âIs the lord actually here?â
âI-It was a trap! What can weâŠâ
âFire the flare.â
Hearing Raonâs composed voice, the soldiers stopped trembling for a moment. The soldier behind him shot two flares to the sky.
Boom, boom!
The darkness faded, and the monster's distorted pressure and brutal faces came into sight.
âSince we donât have time to make a plan, we will proceed the same way as the last time.â
Raon moved towards the right side of the castle walls, where the repair hadnât yet finished.
âSorry?â
âWhat does that mean?â
âIâll stop them from down there, so support me from up here.â
âS-Sir Raon!â
Dorian extended his hand to try to stop him, but Raon was already falling down.
âGasp!â
âI-Is he doing that again?â
âSeriously?â
âRaonâŠâ
âSir Raon!â
Admiration and astonishment filled the eyes of the soldiers and the Snow Strikers swordsmen. There were even soldiers that were shivering in excitement.
Thud!
With Raon defending the castle walls like a giant god, the morale that was repressed by fear soared up to reach the sky.
âSir Raon.â
Dorian clenched his fist, watching Raon emanating enormous pressure.
Edquill, who was standing next to him, was also biting his lip as he stared at Raonâs back.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator â Kyangi]
[Proofreader â Harley]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
Raon caught his breath, looking at Edenâs demons and monsters dashing at him.
âItâs about 80 percent.â
Since he hadn't finished recovering yet, he could only use about 80 percent of his power. However, he could certainly tell that he was currently stronger than before the wave, thanks to the huge growth he got during it.
âBut it might be a bit difficult to stop them on my own.â
There was the Blue Shamanic Demon, the Voracious Ice Demon, and even an ice troll lord. It was difficult for him to fight against the three of them, and that was without including the monsters behind them.
âBut I still need to do it.â
A warrior became stronger by overcoming difficult battles and harsh crises. Feeling his pounding heart, Raon used the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
âFor you to be hereâit must be my lucky day!â
The Voracious Ice Demon kicked the ground. He pierced through the space in no time to slam his blade down. It was an attack that contained powerful combative energy and sharpness all at once.
Thud!
Raon stomped the ground. He mixed the Fangs of Insanityâs principles with the energy surging up. The strike stretched like a ray of light to fend off the Voracious Ice Demonâs blade.
Clang!
Along with a thunderous noise of metals being crushed, the Voracious Ice Demon faltered and bounced off.
âY-You bastard!â
His confused eyes trembled violently inside his helmet.
Whoosh!
Ice shards hailed down from the sky. It was the ice spell used by the Blue Shamanic Demon. The temperature became lower, and the ice shards attacked him at an abnormal angle.
âHaa.â
Raon controlled his breath to blossom a crimson flower on his blade.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Flame Spirit.
The crimson flower petals flickered, fluttering through the air to melt the ice and cut off the line of Blue Shamanic Demonâs spell. It was a wave of power created by the resonating Ring of Fire.
âWhat is thisâŠ?!â
The Blue Shamanic Demonâs mask trembled violently, shocked by his spell being destroyed. Since he couldnât move his body for a moment, Raon was about to run towards him while aiming for his neck. A tremendous amount of combative energy burst from his right side.
âKraaa!â
The ice troll lord was running at him like a bison. The axe containing an enormous combative energy was hammered down on his head.
Thud!
Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps. His shape grew blurry like the night shadow, only to reappear one step behind as he swung his sword upward.
âKrr!â
Even though it hadnât finished growing, it was still a lord. It turned its axe in that instant to get into a perfect defensive posture.
Clang!
The collision between two powers created a shockwave, severing the land that was filled with darkness.
âHaa!â
Raon grit his teeth and used the Fangs of Insanity. The brutal blade sensed the smell of opening to fend off the ice troll lordâs axe.
Thud!
The ice troll lord was pushed back into the horde of orcs behind him. Squashing six orcs under him, he turned them into a bloodbath.
Whir.
Raon lowered his sword, white dust rising to the air.
Three times.
That was the number of swings he made to stop hundreds of monsters and two demons of Eden.
Witnessing that overwhelming power, the people in the castle and the monsters under it could only blink their eyes in amazement.
âIâll be disappointed if thatâs all youâve got.â
Raon smiled faintly and brandished his sword. The energy flowing from the silver blade encroached through the space.
You are just bluffing while straining yourself.
Wrath sneered.
âThatâs true, butâŠâ
Raon snickered.
âI just need to block the front.â
He raised his left hand. Arrows and bolts pierced through the peaceful moonlight to decorate the sky.
Pow! Pow!
The monsters that got hit by the arrows collapsed or knelt, one after the other.
âShoot them again!â
Terianâs gallant voice could be heard, and hundreds of silver arrows fell once again. The number of monsters that collapsed was even bigger than the last time.
âHow do you feel about being ambushed in return?â
âHow did you know we were coming?â
âI have good intuition.â
Raon furrowed his brows, looking at the Blue Shamanic Demon and the Voracious Ice Demon.
âThat was a pretty good trap, because I completely fell for it. HoweverâŠâ
He pointed at the flare fading away and continued.
âThatâs signaling the danger. The commander will be back before tomorrow morning. And I only need to stop you until then.â
âVoracious Ice Demon, you were right this time.â
An energy that was gloomy enough to make his hair stand on end creeped from the Blue Shamanic Demonâs mask.
âWe have to kill him right now.â
âKill? You arenât capable of that.â
âLa Tia!â
The Blue Shamanic Demon slammed his staff down and chanted.
âKrrrr!â
âKieee!â
The monsters that were on deathâs door after getting hit by the arrows stood back up, their eyes shining red. They showed off their yellow teeth, flesh stuck between them, with a pressure even more brutal than before.
âThe plan is changed. He is our highest priority. Kill him!â
âOh, wow.â
The Voracious Ice Demon walked up to him, giggling, upon hearing the Blue Shamanic Demonâs order.
âI canât believe you got even stronger than the last time. You are a real monster, huh?â
Combative energy surrounded him as his deadly eyes glared at him. It looked like the northern seaâs rough and cold waves were encircling him.
âYou heard him, right? He told me to kill you, first!â
The Voracious Ice Demonâs energy exploded from him and rushed at Raon. The shark sting helmet grew bigger in an instant, making him overwhelmingly faster than before.
Raon used Glacier in return. Reading his movement through the ocean of perception, he swung his sword.
Clang!
The collision between the fin blade and the sword created a thunderous noise, trembling the ground at the base.
The Voracious Ice Demon forced his way through with power. It was a tremendous power that felt like facing the great oceanâs tidal wave with a naked body.
Slam!
Raon used the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to the extreme and hacked with the Fangs of Insanity. The moment he fended off the Voracious Ice Demonâs blade, he twisted his body like a shark to target Raonâs neck with its spike.
âDie!â
âYou die.â
Right before the spike reached his neck, Raonâs left hand moved like lightning. He drew the Blade of Requiem from behind his waist to slash him right away.
Slash!
The blade of ghastly energy cut through the armor and tasted red blood.
âThis wound is nothing!â
The Voracious Ice Demon didnât withdraw. As expected of a demon with the ferocious Shark Stingâs characteristic, he showed his teeth to rush at him once again.
âIâll cut you as it is.â
Raonâs eyes shone with a frightening light and he pulled his sword back. As he was about to flash his sword, his sight was filled with white fur. It was the ice troll lord, who had recovered from its injuries.
Huge snowballs were falling from his right side, enough to cover his sight. They were the snowstorm created by the Blue Shamanic Demon. Unlike the ice troll shamanâs spell, it looked powerful enough for a single snowball to break his bones.
Slaam! Slam!
In the midst of a pouring snowstorm, Raon dodged the ice troll lordâs attack and deflected the Voracious Ice Demonâs blade.
âHaa!â
Since the Voracious Ice Demon and the Blue Shamanic Demon both possessed power surpassing an advanced level Expert, adding the ice troll lord with overwhelming physical abilities on top of them was making him feel like death. A cold sweat ran down his spine.
You deserve it after the way you ran in like an idiot.
âShut up.â
Ignoring Wrath making fun of him, he swung his sword.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Ten Flames.
Revolving Sky.
The sawtooth of flame rotated to shred the Voracious Ice Demonâs blade and the ice troll lordâs waist to pieces. As he was about to keep advancing, the Blue Shamanic Demon created a wall of ice to stop him from moving.
âTsk.â
That kept happening. That kind of interruption was stopping him from finishing them off.
âThe monsters are also problematic.â
Even the normal monsters were engulfed in madness as they tried to break through the castle walls. He couldnât allow himself to be careless for a single moment.
âIf only one of the three wasnât hereâŠâ
As he was bitterly licking his lips, he could hear the sound of two people jumping down from the castle walls. When he looked around, he saw the trembling Dorian and Edquill, who was biting his lip.
âDorian? And you areâŠâ
âI-Iâll take care of the lord!â
âYou shall fight the two of them.â
Dorian took out a black rock and a white rock from his belly pocket.
âI canât let you fight alone two times in a row!â
He struck the two rocks like flints, then threw them towards the lord.
Baam!
The rocks exploded and the white smoke emerging from it covered the ice troll lord and the monsters.
âLetâs go!â
âAlright.â
Dorian and Edquill wore some strange eyepatches and went into the smoke.
Huh, I never thought he would be useful one day.
âMe, either.â
Raon smiled faintly and turned around. He could see the Blue Shamanic Demon and the Voracious Ice Demon furrowing their brows.
âIâm sorry, but Iâm going to end this quickly.â
He pointed his sword at the two demons.
âI admit that you are powerful. Thatâs not a swordsmanship and reaction one can have at your age. However, you are looking down on us too much.â
The Blue Shamanic Demonâs mouth curved into a demonic smile.
âWe arenât your average monsters.â
* * *
The Voracious Ice Demon lowered his posture while glaring at Raon. Standing on four limbs like a wolf, he raised his head.
He controlled the combative energy covering his entire body, bringing forth all the coldness of the Northern Ocean that was encircling his heart.
âFreeze to death!â
His mouth split wide open, like a shark swallowing its prey. Extreme coldness poured from its dark throat. It was the shark stingâs ability, Ice Breath.
Creak!
The pure white ice froze the fissured ground in an instant and engulfed Raon. The tremendous wave of ice was powerful enough to create a spiky wall of ice behind him.
âHe is done. NowâŠhuh?â
The Voracious Ice Demon, who was about to stand up after wiping his mouth, was petrified like a plaster figure.
Raon was reflected in his trembling pupil. He couldnât believe his eyes. It was impossible to stay uninjured like that after facing Ice Breath head-on.
âWh-What?â
The Voracious Ice Demonâs entire body started trembling, as if he were having a stroke.
âHow did you survive the Ice BreathâŠ?â
The Ice Breath was a special technique that combined combative energy and ice. Since it was impossible to endure it by normal means, he couldnât understand how he remained spotless like that.
âMove aside, Iâll do it. Cardirartin!â
The Blue Shamanic Demon slammed down his staff and chanted. The snowstorm around Habun Castle was reduced in range to focus on Raon, and the color changed to an ominous yellow.
It was the Snowflake of the Yellow Lotus, a spell that targeted the mind. Since it inflicted frostbite on the mind instead of the body, it was impossible to endure even with a strong resistance to ice.
âHuh?â
Even though it was a brutal storm curse, the man standing inside was standing confidently, pointing his blade towards the sky.
Baam!
The crimson blade fell like lightning, ripping the cursed snowstorm in half.
Looking like he was wearing a silver coat, Raon walked over the fluttering snowflakes as his mouth curled into a smile.
âI-Impossible! How could a cursed spell beâŠâ
The Snowflake of the Yellow Lotus was a mental attack that heâd prepared to use against Milland. He never imagined it could be broken by someone like him.
âIce? A Curse?â
Crimson flame burst from Raonâs blade, melting the darkness around him.