"Phew..."
Mark Goetun breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Raon had entered the forest.
'At least it was worth following him.'
He had followed Raon with all his might, thinking he might be a hindrance, but he was glad to have been of even a little help.
'Now, next is...'
Just as Mark Goetun was rolling his eyes, sensing Raon's aura running through the forest, a bright yellow lightning bolt fell from the darkened sky with a thunderous roar.
'Magic? Sorcery?'
No, this wasn't the time to think about such things. Regardless of what power summoned it, that lightning bolt possessed a formidable strength akin to natural lightning.
"Hup!"
Mark Goetun planted his left foot firmly on the ground and raised his sword. He unleashed the initial form of the Blue Thunder Sword towards the falling lightning. With a resounding clash, the blue flashing blade split the bright yellow lightning and cut through the wall of monsters approaching before him.
'It's not time to relax just because I've sent the Palace Master off.'
Mark Goetun shook his head as he gripped his sword, made from dragon horns and teeth.
'I need to clear this place as much as possible until the Palace Master returns.'
His role was crucial if Raon was to rescue Merlin and escape this land. He had to dismantle the all-encompassing net by any means necessary before Raon came back.
'I really need to risk my life here.'
Although Raon had cut down more than half of the monsters and Ghosts of Eden forming the all-encompassing net, countless enemies still remained. Especially the Eden executives, who had sent only their subordinates and monsters out of fear of Raon, had suffered almost no casualties. He needed to deal with these deviously hidden executives first.
'Avoid the Grandmasters, focus on the Masters.'
Within this formation, there were monsters with the aura of Grandmasters. It seemed best to avoid direct confrontations and eliminate the Masters first.
'Of course, the one I need to be most cautious of is...'
Mark Goetun's thoughts were interrupted as he swung the Dragon Sword upward, splitting the lightning bolt falling towards his head.
'It's the commander dropping these lightning bolts.'
He tried to locate the commander operating this all-encompassing net from atop a mountain overlooking the entire field, but the villain was nowhere to be seen. He was hiding in the forest of monsters, issuing orders and dropping lightning bolts in surprise attacks. The monsters screeched loudly.
Mark Goetun narrowed his eyes as he deflected the spears and arrows flying from his right and left with his lightning aura.
'The pressure of the all-encompassing net is still directed towards the Palace Master.'
The Ghosts of Eden were, of course, focused more on stopping Raon than on him. He had to take advantage of this moment of being overlooked.
'I'll stop them no matter what!'
Mark Goetun approached the entrance of the forest where Raon had entered, cutting down the Ghosts of Eden dressed in green martial robes.
'I shouldn't use too much power.'
He steadied himself and regulated his breathing. This battle would be a long one, so he had to fight while conserving as much energy as possible. The monsters screeched again.
As he was about to step into a footwork stance to block the entrance Raon had gone through, a dual-wielding swordsman wearing a red orc's helmet and a shaman wearing a black troll's mask moved towards the forest. The Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost. It seemed Eden's executives were trying to pursue Raon.
'They're making their move!'
Mark Goetun bit the inside of his lip as he swung his sword down towards the neck of the Red Twin Ghost who was trying to enter the forest.
"Hmm!"
The Red Twin Ghost, seemingly sensing Mark's presence, quickly turned and erected a wall of fighting spirit with his dual swords. With a thunderous clash, Mark Goetun broke through the Red Twin Ghost's defense with his lightning-infused Wall Dragon Sword and deeply slashed the enemy's shoulder.
"Ugh..."
As he was about to follow the retreating Red Twin Ghost to sever his neck, a black mass flew in from the right. It was the Black Soul Ghost's wraith magic.
'Dangerous.'
Mark Goetun frowned as he switched from attack to defense.
'I don't know what effect the magic will have. Better avoid it as much as possible.'
He cut through the oncoming wave-like magic and advanced towards the Black Soul Ghost.
"Where do you think you're going!"
The Red Twin Ghost swung his dual swords towards Mark's back, as if refusing to let him go. The fighting spirit rising from the rusty blades surged forward, threatening to shatter Mark's aura.
"I have a prior engagement."
Mark Goetun slightly tilted his blade to deflect the Red Twin Ghost's attack, then charged towards the left side of the Black Soul Ghost. With a thunderous roar, he summoned the lightning aura burning in his energy center and unleashed the initial form of the Blue Thunder Sword towards the Black Soul Ghost's chest. The attack landed with a resounding impact.
Although the Black Soul Ghost deployed a defensive technique, the Blue Thunder Sword cut through the barrier he created and left a deep wound on his chest.
"Gah!"
The Black Soul Ghost coughed up blood, clutching his chest. Perhaps due to his magic, his flesh began to knit itself back together, healing the wound, but the internal damage would not be easily erased.
'I can block them well enough.'
Both the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost were high-ranking Masters, but their accumulated experience was different from his own. He felt he could defeat them both simultaneously. With a crackling sound, Mark Goetun raised the Wall Dragon Sword above his head. He summoned the blue lightning streaks of the Blue Thunder Sword, pressuring both the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost at once.
"Y-you bastard!"
"How can he be this strong when we're all Masters..."
The Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost trembled, seemingly shocked at being overwhelmed despite their combined attack. With a sizzling sound, Mark blocked the incoming arrows and magic from behind with a wall of lightning while pushing forward the blue lightning blade towards the Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost. The impact resonated loudly.
What Mark Goetun was expressing was neither sword technique nor martial arts. It was the belief he had built up until now, falling alongside the blue lightning.
With a deafening roar, the moment a chilling cutting sound rang in his ears, the wall created by lightning shattered, and a terrifyingly sharp slash dug into his waist. With a sizzling sound, he tried to block the incoming slash by laying flat the Wall Dragon Sword, but the energy contained within it was beyond what he could handle without preparation.
With a thunderous crash, Mark Goetun was ultimately thrown back, rolling roughly on the ground like a stone kicked by a child.
"Ugh..."
Mark Goetun raised his head, coughing up black blood. A tall martial artist approached, standing next to the Black Soul Ghost he had tried to kill. In his hands were two pairs of sickles of different colors, and his limbs were abnormally long. He made a sound like fluttering wings while scratching the mantis helmet he wore on his face.
"White Wolf Ghost..."
Mark Goetun swallowed dryly as he looked at the man wearing the mantis helmet.
'Was that monster here all along?'
He had only thought that a Grandmaster was hiding, but he didn't know it would be this ghost.
'Of all people, it had to be him...'
The White Wolf Ghost was an Eden executive who inherited the characteristics of the Giant Mantis Lord. Unlike the purely ferocious Giant Mantis, he was cautious yet cruel, and with his exceptional senses, he was a monster difficult for martial artists to face. The sound of his breathing was audible.
The White Wolf Ghost, as if uninterested in Mark, lowered his two pairs of sickles and turned his back to enter the forest.
"Ugh..."
Mark Goetun forced strength into his trembling knees as he stood up.
'I can't let him go.'
Right now, Raon couldn't maintain his composure because of Merlin. If the White Wolf Ghost, who had been hiding, launched a surprise attack while Raon was fighting the Transcendent in the forest, even the Palace Master could be seriously injured. He had to stop him no matter what. A deep rumbling sound echoed.
He kicked the ground, infusing the Wall Dragon Sword with all of his aura. He invoked the mantra of the Blue Thunder Sword, drawing lightning with the fiercely burning thunderbolt.
"Foolish one."
The White Wolf Ghost made a wing-flapping sound with his mouth as he fiercely swung up the sickle he had tilted. With a thunderous roar, a pure white astral ring blazed above the sharply rising sickle, splitting the lightning of the Blue Thunder Sword and even cutting into Mark's chest.
"Gah..."
Mark Goetun staggered backward, coughing up blood. As he tried to catch his breath to stop the bleeding from his chest, sword strikes and magic flew in from his right and left. With a sharp clang, it was the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost. They had recovered during the time the White Wolf Ghost had bought them and now pointed their blades at Mark.
'Damn it!'
Mark Goetun, clutching the bleeding wound on his chest with his left hand, retreated while barely managing to block the attacks from the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost. With a resounding clash, he struggled to deflect the sword strikes and magic that he could have easily blocked before, due to his deteriorating physical condition. The sound of his labored breathing was audible.
The White Wolf Ghost turned his back again to enter the forest, seemingly considering Mark already dead. It appeared to be the nature of the Mantis Lord to hunt only prey that looked appetizing.
'Absolutely not!'
Mark Goetun, his eyes blazing, pushed back the charging Red Twin Ghost and Black Soul Ghost with the lightning of the Blue Thunder Sword, then ran towards the forest again.
"Stop!"
With his bleeding chest exposed, he swung his sword down towards the White Wolf Ghost's sickle.
"You..."
The White Wolf Ghost frowned, seemingly surprised by Mark Goetun's even stronger charge despite his injuries.
"I made a promise to the Palace Master..."
Mark Goetun's gaze remained unwavering even in the face of the White Wolf Ghost's chilling killing intent. He gripped his flashing blue sword with both hands and stomped the ground as if to shatter it.
"No one shall pass this way before I die!"
* * *
"Will it be alright?"
Krein looked back at the distant Lord's Manor, smacking his lips.
"The Palace Master's expression looked extremely serious..."
He furrowed his brows, expressing concern for Raon.
"Hmm, I haven't been in the Light Wind Palace for very long, but I've never seen that kind of expression before."
Trevin also let out a low groan, seeming worried about Raon.
"I've been watching Raon since we were trainees, but I've only seen that kind of expression a few times..."
Dorian scratched his cheek, saying it must be something serious.
"Yes. It was serious."
Burren nodded calmly.
"I even wanted to follow him."
He clicked his tongue briefly, saying he had considered going along.
"If you were considering it, why didn't you go?"
Krein tilted his head curiously.
"Because the Guardian was behind Raon."
Burren shrugged, saying that was all there was to it.
"That person values Raon more than his own life."
He chuckled, saying that in that aspect, he was the best in the Light Wind Palace.
"The reason the Guardian tries to become stronger is to be of help to Raon, isn't it?"
Martha tilted her chin as if to say, "Don't you know?"
"In the Light Wind Palace, the only ones who train as much as Raon are us three and that person."
She wore a subtle smile, saying that Mark Goetun's passion was no less than their own.
"Yeah. There's no need to worry."
Runaan nodded, looking up at the sky painted with purple sunset.
"They'll both return with smiles on their faces."
* * *
"Huff..."
Mark Goetun spat out purple-tinged blood, his face devoid of any trace of a smile.
'At this rate, I might really die.'
He could block the attacks of the Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost, but the White Wolf Ghost's slashes were so fierce that each one threatened his very soul. If his concentration slipped even a little, his head would have been severed long ago.
'The Palace Master didn't make us do concentration enhancement training for nothing.'
At the time, he thought it was hell, but in actual combat, it was proving to be a great help. He deflected the Black Soul Ghost's magic and parried the Red Twin Ghost's sword strike, trying to catch his breath when the White Wolf Ghost's sickle came down. His hair stood on end as he realized he couldn't dodge.
'If I can't block it...'
Attack! Mark Goetun recalled the insights he gained from Raon and swung the Wall Dragon Sword down towards the White Wolf Ghost's incoming sickle. With a thunderous clash, the Wall Dragon Sword bent as if it might break upon impact with the White Wolf Ghost's sickle.
The weapon itself was compensating for his lack of martial prowess. If it weren't for this sword made from dragon horns by the Continental Master Vulcan, he would have died long ago.
"You're quite persistent."
The White Wolf Ghost waved his hand as if annoyed, and his sickle trembled like an insect's wing.
'What... Ah!'
Mark Goetun, focusing on the sickle's movement, hurriedly threw himself to the left. With a ripping sound, but it seemed too late as his waist was deeply gouged, blood pouring out once again.
"Gah..."
He tried to stop the bleeding with his aura, but perhaps because the cut was too sharp, the blood wouldn't stop flowing.
"This is the end for you."
"You leech!"
The Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost, as if not wanting to miss this opportunity, rushed in, unleashing sword strikes and wraith-infused magic.
'There's no time to breathe...'
Mark Goetun, without even a moment to stanch his wound, raised his sword to block the onslaught from the Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost.
'My head is getting foggy...'
His vision blurred, and his thoughts rapidly diminished. He seemed to be in a truly dangerous state from losing too much blood. The White Wolf Ghost, unlike before, didn't head towards the forest but slowly approached like a predator eyeing its prey. It seemed he intended to finish Mark off personally.
'This might be for the best.'
Mark Goetun let out a faint smile.
'I must have bought enough time by now.'
Though he had no strength left and didn't know where Raon was, he was sure Raon would be able to rescue Merlin and return.
[White Wolf Ghost! Don't bother with the almost dead one, pursue Raon Zieghart!]
As the White Wolf Ghost was slowly raising his sickle, a somewhat clumsy voice was heard from thin air. Judging by how it addressed the White Wolf Ghost, it seemed to be the commander who formed this all-encompassing net.
"Tch."
The White Wolf Ghost clicked his tongue briefly, as if agreeing with those words, and quickly turned his back.
'It's not over yet...'
If he let the White Wolf Ghost go now and Raon was ambushed, he wouldn't be able to close his eyes even in death. He had to hold him back for even a minute. No, even a second longer.
'I can move. I must move no matter what.'
He imprinted the movements of the Black Soul Ghost and the Red Twin Ghost in his mind. If he could quickly cut them down and move, he might be able to hold back the White Wolf Ghost a bit longer.
'Starting with the footwork... Ugh!'
He tried to step back using his footwork technique, but his body wouldn't move properly. In his blurred vision, all he could do was defend against the attacks of the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost.
'If my body won't work...'
Mark Goetun bit his lip as he raised his head.
'I have to stop him some other way!'
After pushing back the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost slightly with the lightning at his fingertips, he straightened his waist.
"White Wolf Ghost! Are you afraid of me?"
Mark Goetun twisted his lips as he called out the White Wolf Ghost's name.
"Always running away! No wonder you're called a bug!"
He raised the Wall Dragon Sword, shouting for the White Wolf Ghost to fight him if he wasn't scared.
"Crazy bastard..."
The White Wolf Ghost twisted his lips as he raised his sickle again.
"I'll slice that mouth of yours in a straight line!"
[Stop wasting time! I told you to enter the forest!]
As he was about to swing his sickle fiercely, the commander's voice was heard again.
"White Wolf..."
[I'll finish this one off!]
As he was about to call out to the White Wolf Ghost again, the entire dark sky flashed red, and an enormous lightning bolt fell, obscuring his entire field of vision. With a deafening roar, Mark Goetun gasped as he saw the lightning descending to the top of his head in an instant.
'Is this... true lightning?'
It was on a different level from the lightning he had unleashed until now. It was deep, grand, powerful, yet flexible.
'And...'
Free. Unlike his sword techniques that merely shaped lightning according to forms, this lightning stretched out freely, as if it could go anywhere in the world.
'Yes. Originally, lightning is...'
It should be able to go anywhere since it falls from the heavens.
'Then my sword technique too...'
As he realized that the lightning and the sword that should draw that lightning must be free, all the sword techniques that had filled his mind sank away. What filled the empty space was a single line. But that line was free enough to stretch out anywhere. The sound of his breath echoed.
Mark Goetun raised the Wall Dragon Sword with his weakened fingertips. He closed his eyes, recalling the blue line engraved in his mind.
With a thunderous roar, blue light that seemed to dye everything in all directions bloomed above the Wall Dragon Sword, and from within it, a thunder that sounded as if the sky was collapsing echoed. With a crackling sound, the lightning struck by the commander of the all-encompassing net didn't strike Mark Goetun down, but instead flashed red as if it had become his power, swirling around him.
"B-block it. Block it now!"
The White Wolf Ghost, seemingly realizing the danger Mark Goetun now posed, raised both sickles and shot out red and blue slashes. The two colors of astral rings mixed, forming the shape of a giant sickle.
"You bastard!"
"What are you up to now!"
The Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost, also seeming to sense the danger, exploded all their energy and unleashed their sword techniques. With a sharp sound, Mark Goetun, without taking a single step back, swung down the Wall Dragon Sword he had raised above his head. Blue Thunder Sword, Ultimate Technique. Ten Thousand Waves Divine Technique.
What Mark Goetun expressed was neither sword technique nor martial arts. The belief he had built up until now fell alongside the blue lightning.
With a thunderous roar, countless lightning bolts that seemed to paint the sky itself split the White Wolf Ghost's body, and erased the very existence of the Red Twin Ghost and the Black Soul Ghost. With a deep breath, Mark Goetun raised the hand holding the Wall Dragon Sword, feeling power surging through his body as if resonating with heaven and earth. A deep rumbling sound echoed.
The commander of the all-encompassing net, now seeming to be wary of Mark, focused the pressure of the formation.
With a rumbling sound, the Ghosts of Eden and monsters forming the formation also started to surge towards him instead of chasing Raon.
"Haa..."
Mark Goetun straightened his slightly bent waist and stood up. Terrible pain enveloped his mind, his body shook as if it could collapse at any moment, and countless enemies blocked his path, but he felt like he wouldn't lose to anyone. A deep rumbling sound resonated.
Mark Goetun stood at the entrance of the forest where Raon had entered and took a battle stance. He unleashed the roaring spirit boiling in his chest towards the fiercely advancing army of monsters and Eden.
"Come! I am the Guardian of the Light Wind Palace Master!"