"Huh."
Raon opened his eyes with a faint cry.
'I was certain I had died?'
He could recall his neck being severed by Wrath's surprise attack, but nothing after that.
'Have I returned to reality?'
Thinking he might have come back to the real world after dying in the space created by the Room of Self, he looked around.
'No. This is...'
Raon swallowed dryly as he gazed at the golden, shimmering ground.
'The place where I first woke up.'
The place he revived after death was the boundary between the sand mountain and the blue sea. He had opened his eyes again on the same ground where he first awoke upon entering the Room of Self.
'So if you die in the Room of Self, you return here?'
The trials he had passed were so dangerous that it wouldn't have been strange if death was a possibility. It wasn't odd to give a new chance even if one died.
"Phew..."
Raon let out a long sigh as he leaned his back against the ground.
'That's a relief.'
He had thought that since he entered the Room of Self with both soul and body, death here might lead to death in reality, but now that he confirmed it wasn't the case, he finally felt at ease. Tsk. Raon clicked his tongue deeply as he touched his neck where it had been severed by Wrath.
'I didn't expect to see my head fall off again.'
When he was killed by Wrath, he was reminded of the end of his past life as the assassin Raon. He remembered when Derus cut off his head and flicked the blood from his hand like an insect, and anger unconsciously welled up inside him.
"I swore I'd never suffer such humiliation again..."
It seems I still have a long way to go. He thought he had grown a lot after catching the Black Tower Master and coming to the Room of Self, but he couldn't even withstand a single blow from Wrath. Even if it was a surprise attack, it was disappointing.
'Are we really both Transcendents?'
He was a Transcendent, and so were Glenn and Wrath. The range of Transcendents seemed so broad that it felt like there needed to be another classification between them.
'No, I'll think about that later...'
Why did that damn cotton candy attack me? He had only gone to find Wrath after finishing his trial first, but he was too shocked to have his neck cut off in a surprise attack.
'I was planning to take a little... no, maybe a bit more if Wrath got a lot of rewards, but...'
I didn't actually steal anything! It would have been less frustrating if he had died while trying to steal Wrath's power, but dying while meditating was too unfair.
'Did he hear me say I'd take 80 percent? I was just saying that, did he think I'd really take it all?'
At most, I'd only take half.
He had said 80 percent, but he actually only intended to take about half, so his chest felt tight.
'He's such a kid, really.'
Raon smacked his lips, thinking of how Wrath would be horrified if he heard this.
'But what exactly hit me?'
The attack came so suddenly that he wasn't even sure what killed him.
'Seeing how my head flew off, did he sharpen cold energy into a blade and shoot it?'
Even if he had been careless, the fact that he couldn't react at all made it seem certain that Wrath had honed cold energy into a sharp projectile.
'The wall is still high.'
It was disconcerting that he couldn't even detect Wrath's attack. For the first time in a while, he felt the reality of the difference in skill between them.
'Still, it's fortunate.'
Raon smacked his lips as he examined his body.
'I haven't lost anything in particular.'
He checked the state of his martial arts just in case, and found that the Ten Thousand Swords, Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, and Glacier that had grown were all intact. Though not exactly the mental world, it seemed that dying in this similar place had no effect.
'Of course, it hurt like hell.'
The ominous sensation of feeling his own death and the pain of every cell in his body seeming to disappear remained the same, but it was fortunate there was no loss. A dimensional gate rose from the golden shimmering ground, burning in a circular shape.
'Is this the exit?'
As he had initially expected, it seemed that this land dividing the sand mountain and the blue sea was both the entrance and exit of the Room of Self.
"It's a bit disappointing, but I gained a lot."
He had tightened his relaxed body and mind, realized the true method of using the Ten Thousand Swords, and reached the wall of 10 stars for the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and 9 stars for Glacier. It was a satisfying time, having achieved much growth in a short period.
'Of course...'
Raon gritted his molars as he looked towards the sea.
'I'll have to get revenge on that damn cotton candy.'
Even if there was no loss, the sensation of dying was so repulsive it made his whole body shudder. Especially when he saw his own body crumbling after losing his head.
'How should I get revenge to make it sound like I did well?'
Even if their souls had entered together, since he was the main subject, Wrath would inevitably be pulled along the moment he left through this gate. It was better to think about getting revenge in reality.
'Ban bead ice cream? Ban eating out? No, both are too weak.'
Wrath had become more patient, so he would probably be able to endure that much.
'Then is it Nadine bread after all?'
He clearly hated it more than starving, given how he would explode with anger at the mere mention of Nadine bread.
'Alright. I'll make you eat only Nadine bread for a year.'
Having lived as an assassin, he could eat any kind of food. He could swallow not just rubber-flavored bread, but actual rubber, so it wouldn't matter even if he had to eat only Nadine bread for ten years, let alone one.
'Just you wait.'
Raon curled up his lips and stretched his legs towards the dimensional gate.
'I'll teach you a lesson with Nadine bread so you can never kill me again... Hm?'
He was about to leave through the gate while thinking about getting revenge on Wrath, but he pulled his foot back.
'Wait a minute.'
Raon briefly smacked his lips as he looked at the blue sea.
'I die but suffer no loss?'
Death in reality means the end, and death in the mental world also results in great losses like the loss of the soul. But here, dying caused no problems at all.
'This...'
Raon turned his back on the golden exit. As he stepped onto the blue sea that resembled Wrath's hair color, he smacked his lips for a long time.
'I might have discovered a new serendipitous encounter.'
* * *
"Damn it all!"
Wrath screamed while grabbing his head with both hands.
"I made a mistake. A terribly big mistake!"
He had only meant to slap Raon's cheek with cold energy, but unknowingly used too much force and cut off the bastard's neck.
'But was it really... a mistake?'
It's true that he failed to control his strength after suddenly becoming stronger. That much was certain. But he couldn't give a definite answer to the question of whether he had intended to kill.
'Blood rushed to my head.'
The moment he saw the moonlight cold energy he had painstakingly obtained being stolen by Raon, his mind went blank.
'And...'
He remembered all the things he had endured until now. Being disrespected by the brat Raon, having his abilities stolen, being extorted by other demon kings using his name, and among them all, the greatest anger was naturally about food.
'Nadine bread...'
Remembering the nauseating rubber taste of all the Nadine bread he had eaten so far, he used too much strength. At a level that even the current Raon couldn't block.
'It's even more terrifying that he's definitely alive...'
This place is a virtual space created by his and Raon's souls. Since it's a place where one can't die even if killed, Raon would have revived immediately.
'It would have been better if he had really died...'
Now what should I do? Not only Raon's, but his own trial had also ended, so an exit would probably have opened. The moment he goes through that exit, I will inevitably be pulled along, so I can't resist in any way.
'That bastard Raon...'
He seemed incredibly pissed off.
The moment his neck was severed, Raon gave him a look that said, 'You're dead!' The memory of those fierce eyes made his shoulders tremble.
'Maybe I'll have to eat Nadine bread for a month...'
Wrath shook his head, mentioning such a short period of one month as if he still didn't know what kind of person Raon was.
'I absolutely can't endure that.'
He would rather starve than eat Nadine bread consecutively. Even when he ate Nadine bread before entering this space, he nearly died.
'Do, do I have to beg in the end...?'
In the battle of souls in reality, he can't win against that damn Raon because of that ring. The moment he leaves this place, he'll have to raise both arms and beg for forgiveness.
'Of course, that lump of desire won't let me off that easily.'
Raon will surely demand material power. He doesn't know how much he'll have to give up to satisfy that greedy devil god.
"Haaa, the loss will be severe."
Though his soul's rank or authority won't be consumed, the thought of giving up the cold energy he obtained while receiving moonlight made his chest tighten as if he had indigestion.
'Damn it!'
Wrath threw a punch into the air.
'What a mess this is because I couldn't endure once! This Monarch of Wrath!'
Of course, even that Monarch of Wrath couldn't overcome the fear of Nadine bread, so he sat down thinking about how to roast Raon. But no matter how long he waited, the Room of Self showed no signs of collapsing.
'What's going on?'
Why isn't he leaving? The moment Raon exits through the gate, he should disappear along with him, and this space should be erased, but strangely, there was no change at all.
'Co, could it be that he really died... No, that's impossible!'
If Raon had really died, this world would have collapsed the moment his neck was severed. The fact that it's still intact means he's definitely alive.
'Then is he unable to find the exit?'
Or maybe he's thinking about getting revenge on me. Not knowing made him feel more suffocated than getting hit. He hoped this stifling situation would end quickly, no matter what.
'You brat! What on earth are you thinking!'
Thinking that if he was going to take revenge, he should hurry up and finish it, he leaned against the World Tree where Raon had been sitting. As he was growing more and more anxious while cultivating Glacier, Raon walked out of the black mirror.
"Huh...?"
Wrath's dry lips trembled as he watched Raon step onto the snowfield.
'Why did that ghost come here?'
The exit of the Room of Self is in the same place as the entrance. He could have left immediately after reviving, so why he came here was incomprehensible.
'Do, don't tell me...'
Is he planning to take revenge here? It seemed that ghost wasn't just planning to subjugate him in reality, but here as well.
"Kuhuk..."
Wrath let out a low groan with his face buried in his hands. Envisioning the future ahead, tears unconsciously sprang from his eyes.
"Wrath."
Raon looked at him with red eyes so chilling it was eerie.
"I, I'm sorry. I really made a big mistake."
Face to face with Raon, all the words he had been thinking of didn't come to mind. Like a herbivore in front of its natural predator, his mind went blank and he could only say he was sorry.
"I'll never lay a hand on you again, so please, anything but Nadine bread..."
"Hey."
Raon seemed genuinely angry as he waved his hand, cutting off Wrath's words.
"Yes...?"
"Forget it. Use the same technique you used to kill me again."
He unsheathed the Heavenly Drive and flicked his finger as if telling Wrath to attack quickly.
"Use, use it again?"
Wrath looked at Raon with wide eyes.
"What are you suddenly saying!"
He had expected to be fed only Nadine bread for a month, but being told to attack again was too shocking. He couldn't understand what that bastard was thinking.
"I'm telling you to attack like before and cut off my neck."
Raon lowered his stance and nodded slightly as if telling him to stop wasting time and attack quickly.
'This, this is...'
Wrath swallowed hard as he saw Raon's smile.
'Definitely a trap!'
Judging by Raon's expression, if he attacked now, he would surely be fed Nadine bread for three months, not just one. He absolutely must not attack.
"Keuup..."
Wrath squeezed his eyes shut as if he hadn't seen anything.
"I, I absolutely won't raise a hand..."
"If you don't hit me now, I'll feed you only Nadine bread until you die? Forget bead ice cream, you won't even get to eat home-cooked meals."
Raon frowned and said he was serious.
"Na, Nadine bread for life..."
Wrath's blue eyes wavered like jellyfish floating in water.
"You know I'm the type to do what I say, right?"
Raon tapped his foot as if telling him to make a choice quickly.
"You, you really want me to attack? Really?"
Wrath exhaled turbidly as he asked again.
"That's what I'm saying. How many times do I have to repeat myself?"
Raon nodded and said to hurry up.
"Keuu..."
Wrath bit his lip until it bled. The thought of eating only Nadine bread for life without bead ice cream made his mind go blank again.
'Anything but that.'
No matter if you spread jam on it, pour peanut butter, dip it in coffee, or soak it in wine, the rubber taste of Nadine bread never disappears. It was a grotesque taste that destroyed all other flavors and stimulated his tongue. The thought of experiencing that for life made his killing intent rise again.
"Die!"
Wrath screamed and raised the frost blade with all his might. The frost blade flew faster than sound, slicing Raon's neck just like before.
"Ha!"
Raon smiled contentedly even as he died. His body disappeared like a collapsing sand castle as his head fell to the ground.
"Wha, what is this? What is this!"
Seeing Raon smile even as he died brought greater terror than when he first killed him. For the first time, he felt truly afraid of him.
"What on earth do you want from me!"
Are you trying out a new genre or something!
* * *
"As expected..."
Raon sprang to his feet in front of the golden exit.
"I don't die."
Seeing no change even after two deaths, it seemed that as he initially thought, one could revive here without any loss even if they died.
'But...'
I still couldn't see it. Even though he wasn't careless, he couldn't figure out where or how Wrath's attack came from. It seemed to be a power beyond his current level.
‘That’s right. This is fun.’
Raon curled his lips as he stepped onto the Supreme Harmony Steps and advanced into the sea.
'This will be an even greater gain than what I obtained in the Room of Self.'
Here, you revive immediately even if you die, and suffer no martial arts losses. In other words, it meant this was the best training ground where he could face Wrath at full power.
'Right now I can't even see it, but...'
If I keep dying, I'll surely start to sense something. Even if he can't block Wrath's attacks, just facing him will be a great help when dealing with other Transcendents. Of course, dying is terrifying and painful. But it would be more painful to miss this opportunity for growth.
Raon crossed the sea at full speed. He passed through the gray island's cave and entered the mirror again.
Upon arriving at the ruined snowfield, he saw Wrath chattering his teeth as if terrified.
"Kill me again."
Raon grinned and nodded slightly.
"I, I'm scared..."
Wrath backed away, shaking his head vigorously.
"What kind of revenge are you trying to exact by doing this!"
He screamed, begging Raon to at least explain.
"You perverted bastard!"