Raon opened the status window to check what he had received before leaving the cave.

He managed to achieve an incredible amount of growth in the last three weeks at the Central Martial Palace. It would be a lot easier for him to defeat Holline now.

There were only two out of nine original strands of the Curse of Frost left. He could assume that it would disappear completely once he reached Master level.

The speed of his mana control would reach the next level. It was something to look forward to, since it was another way of getting stronger besides becoming a Master.

Raon opened the King of Destruction title that he’d recently obtained.

Raon’s jaw dropped upon reading the description.

That 6% increase meant that he would gain an additional 8.28 strength on top of his current 138, resulting in 146 strength’s worth of power.

And while the increase was 8 for now, the amount would go up according to his strength, meaning that the title was more effective the stronger he got.

Ah…

Wrath drooped like a wet towel in contrast to Raon’s delight.

It’s too painful. Has life always been so painful?

He was spacing out while saying strange things. It seemed he was in bad condition after not seeing the sun for two weeks.

Why do I have to keep on living while being extorted and locked up…

“We will go outside soon enough. Let’s go out and eat some delicious food.”

You are right!

Wrath became energetic in an instant as he stretched.

What are you doing? Go outside right now!

“……”

Although Raon did it on purpose, he was too easy to manipulate. It was almost scary how easy it was. Raon couldn’t believe he was really the monarch of Wrath.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Raon started to leave, then stopped and turned around. He looked around at the marks of his ancestor, the ones that he’d erased.

Hoping to meet the blonde swordsman that seemed to guide him once again, Raon walked towards the exit of the cave.

His body felt heavy from overworking himself without sleeping, but he felt more light-hearted than ever.

* * *

Urek narrowed his eyes, looking at the caves that Raon and Burren would be leaving soon.

Karoon Zieghart ended the conflict as soon as he arrived in the troubled region, but he hadn’t returned to the Central Martial Palace because he had to stay there for an extra week in accordance with Glenn’s new orders.

Therefore, Urek had no choice but wait in front of the cave alongside Reff, Holline, and the other relatively powerful swordsmen that still remained in the Central Martial Palace.

At around noon, he could hear someone walking out of the fifth cave. Soon enough, Burren stepped out with a frown, his face slightly pale.

“It’s more dazzling than I thought.”

As Burren raised his hand to block the sunlight, he felt like a completely different person from two weeks ago. It seemed he did his best at training inside a cave with a distorted flow of mana.

Urek slowly nodded at Burren.

As expected of son.

Burren was truly praiseworthy, as he kept training inside the cave that most swordsmen just wasted their time in.

“General Administrator.”

Upon noticing Urek, Burren walked up to him and bowed. He was still frowning as his eyes became accustomed to the light.

“Good job.”

“Is Raon still inside?”

“Yes. Are you going to wait?”

“No, it’s not necessary. He must’ve gotten stronger anyway.”

“In that case, why are you leaving?”

“Because Raon is Raon, and I am me.”

Burren shook his head while smiling slightly. He was still confident and relaxed, despite having witnessed the spar between Raon and Holline. His unwavering eyes made him think that he was indeed a descendent of the Central Martial Palace master.

Although he used to be an egocentric kid, he had already grown up to be a big and sturdy warrior. The other officers also gave a big nod at Burren’s confidence.

“You shall rest, then. I’ll give you a two-day break.”

“Thank you.”

He looked at the first cave for a moment before heading towards his residence in the Central Martial Palace.

Although three hours passed after Burren left, Raon still hadn’t come out. It was as Urek started wondering whether he needed to enter the dreadful cave once again that it happened.

Whaam!

The sound of an explosion and a heavy vibration came from the first cave. While it sounded like a collapsing mountain, it was accompanied by the sawing sound of a rock.

“G-General Administrator!”

“No way, d-did that crazy bastard really…”

Urek and Reff’s hands were trembling as they met each other’s eyes. The same thing came up in their minds in that instant.

It wasn’t a guess, since they were sure the crazy bastard was destroying the cave with his destructive instincts.

“Argh…”

Urek ground his teeth. The Central Martial Palace had already lost 9713 gold because of him, yet he was even destroying the cave now. He couldn’t believe such a nutcase could even exist.

“G-General Administer, shouldn't we go in?”

“Shouldn’t we stop him from doing that?”

Reff and the officers pointed at the cave, which sounded like it was collapsing, with trembling eyes.

“No. We will wait.”

Urek shook his head. It was pointless to enter a collapsing cave just to be buried inside.

“As he likely isn’t trying to kill himself, he should stop his destruction soon enough and come out.”

Slam! Baam!

However, the collapsing sound of the cave continued for over ten minutes.

“That crazy bastard! How much is he trying to destroy?”

It was ridiculous that he was trying to destroy the entire mountain. Thinking about what sort of grudge Raon could be holding against the cave, Urek felt like a hole was pierced into his brain from going out of his mind.

“General Administrator!”

“What is that sound?”

“Are enemies attacking?”

The swordsmen that were in the Central Martial Palace came running at them after hearing the sound, their weapons in hand.

“It’s not a big deal, so return to your routines.”

He ordered them to return, telling them that it was just a collapsing cave—they weren’t helpful against Raon, anyway.Rumble…

Once the officers were once again the only ones remaining in front of the cave, the ear splitting sound and vibration stopped from the first cave.

Urek waited while praying for the former to be true, and small footsteps could be heard from inside the cave. And the man that made that racket appeared soon enough.

“Gasp!”

Urek saw Raon’s shoes, covered in dust, and looked up. His skin crawled upon meeting his eyes.

The red eyes, as serene and as deep as a lake in the middle of the night, were those of a complete expert. He realized that the crazy monster had grown once again during that short time period.

He thought getting stronger through crises and hardships was only possible in those old novels, yet he was witnessing it with his own eyes. His hair stood on end.

“I’ve completed my abstinence.”

Raon walked up to him and bowed politely. Although he did all kinds of crazy things, he acted politely at times like that.

“Wh-What was that sound from the cave just now?”

Urek wiped off his sweat and pointed at the first cave.

“Ah, the cave suddenly started to collapse. I barely managed to avoid it myself.”

“Argh…”

He smoothed his hand over his chest in relief, murmuring that he seriously could’ve died. Since Urek could tell that he was obviously acting, he unconsciously clenched his fist.

“Weren’t you the one that destroyed it?”

“Why would I destroy the cave? I would have to want to be buried under it. Moreover, the general administrator should know better than anyone that it’s impossible to properly control the mana in there.”

“Ahem…”

Urek wrinkled his nose. He was right, but he was fully capable of destroying the cave without using mana.

“Thank you for coming to see me at the end of my abstinence.”

Raon’s pressure was already dominating the space with his eyes shone red.

“Hmm…”

Holline took a step back and started sweating from his temples, despite having fought him in equal grounds two weeks ago.

Urek licked his lips. Raon’s usual composure could be easily mistaken for him having never learned any martial arts before, but his true nature was as huge and violent as a tidal wave.

It wasn’t just his prowess—his willpower and craftiness were also far beyond his age.

He was on a completely different level from Burren, who he had admired earlier.

The more he saw him, the more regrettable it felt—having him on their side would be greatly helpful in making Karoon the head of house.

No matter how excellent Raon was, he was just an individual. Meanwhile, the Central Martial Palace was one of the most powerful organizations in Zieghart. Urek figured that, if he reached out to him, he would have no choice but to accept it.

If Raon begged for mercy from the bottom of his heart, Karoon should also accept it. After all, he also knew that Raon’s talent could be called unprecedented.

And if he ended up refusing, he could just kick him out.

“Raon Zieghart.”

“Yes.”

“I know why you chose the Central Martial Palace for your internship.”

Urek stood in front of Raon with his hands behind his back.

“But that choice was the worst possible strategy. The damage you inflicted is no more than a speck for the Central Martial Palace.”

They actually suffered a lot financially, but he forced himself to look as if it were nothing.

“The Central Martial Palace is the strongest armed organization of Zieghart, and Sir Karoon is tolerant enough to accept you. Beg for his forgiveness and join the Central Martial Palace. That is the best choice that I can offer you.”

Since Raon wasn’t a fool, Urek figured that would be enough to convince him.

“Forgiveness, huh…”

Raon snickered.

“What mistake have I made to beg for forgiveness?”

“What?”

“You said I have to beg for forgiveness. I asked you what mistake I made to need it.”

“Th-That’s…”

There was nothing he could say. Raon had never actually done anything wrong, and it was Karoon that one-sidedly hated him and held him in check.

“Y-You should know better than anyone else!”

“Is that so?”

Raon tilted his head and smiled faintly. His eyes suggested he was skimming over all his thoughts.

“Thank you for the suggestion, but I can’t accept it.”

“How foolish! This is the last chance given to you. If you submit to Sir Karoon, a silk road is pretty much waiting ahead…”

“I don’t care about chance or whatnot. There’s no way a hatchling would serve a drake that couldn’t even become a dragon. That would be embarrassing.”

“What?”

“Y-You are insane!”

“What did that bastard say just now?”

The officers started trembling upon hearing that.

“Argh…”

Urek’s eyes widened, to the point that they seemed likely to tear apart. Raon compared himself to a dragon, and Karoon to a drake, to tell him that he couldn’t join him because they were on different levels.

The insolence was preposterous, but he was unable to refute for some reason.

In fact, Raon personally came to the Central Martial Palace to pick a fight, and Karoon had been trying to nip the young bud despite being in a much more superior position.

“Hmm…”

Cold sweat flew down Urek’s back as he felt the huge potential Raon had.

“I’m leaving, then.”

Raon bowed once again, walking past Urek and the officers.

“You’d better be careful, as the arrogant ones usually don’t last long around here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Ah, thank you for putting me in there. I managed to get stronger.”

Raon waved his hand and went to his lodgings.

“Argh!”

Urek sent a killing glare at Raon’s back before turning his head to the officers.

“Forget everything that bastard said. If the master ends up hearing about this, he is going to kill us all, on top of that bastard.”

“Ah, yes!”

“U-Understood.”

The officers lowered their heads and trembled.

“Haa…”

Urek clenched his fist, looking at the first cave.

* * *

* * *After making fun of Urek, Raon returned to his lodgings to wash himself, then sat at the bed.

Raon Zieghart!

Wrath popped up from the bracelet.

“Why…?”

Since he took a warm shower after being unable to sleep for over ten days straight, his strength had left his body and his voice sounded weak.

Let’s go to the cafeteria right now! You’d better order every food that the King of Essence asks for!

He smiled in excitement, tap dancing with his arms.

“Yes, I shall. I know I should, but…”

Raon couldn’t finish his answer, collapsing on the bed. Because he’d been continuously using in the cave, then waged psychological warfare against Urek, he had no energy left in him to stay awake. He closed his eyes just like that and fell asleep.

……

Although the lodgings used to be filled with Wrath’s anticipation, the sound of Raon’s breathing was the only thing that could be heard now.

Hey! You bastard! How can you do this to me?

Wrath stopped tap dancing with his arms and used them to smack Raon’s head.

“Hmm…”

Raon opened his eyes for a moment to lay down properly and cover himself with a blanket so that he could start sleeping.

I-I knew this would happen! I knew it!

Humans were the true evil, since even devils kept their promises. And that bastard was the worst of them all.

Grrr, once you wake up…

As Wrath was grinding his teeth, a message appeared in front of Raon.

Raon was unable to read the message, falling into an even deeper sleep.

Hmm.

Wrath licked his lips, poking his head out of the message.

For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this…

* * *

Raon opened his eyes, and vitality dashed through his body like a raging fire.

He couldn’t feel the usual drowsiness from waking up in the morning at all, and a vitality that he’d never felt before was filling his entire body.

“Huh…”

Raon laughed bitterly. He couldn’t believe that he was having the most refreshing morning of his life in the Central Martial Palace.

You bastaaaaard!

Wrath soared from the bracelet and started spreading coldness everywhere.

You broke your promise with the King of Essence once again and slept for two whole days!

“Promise?”

You said you would eat delicious food right after exiting the cave!

“I didn’t say right after, but in a moment.”

That’s the same thing!

“It’s actually different in the human world.”

What?

“For example, if one said ‘let’s have a meal together soon.’, when do you think that would be?”

Hmm, in about a week, I guess?

Wrath scratched his chin and raised his head.

“Wrong. They will never meet each other, or it will take multiple months.”

What?

“The expression I mentioned earlier, about having a meal together soon, means that they will never actually meet with each other again—or if they do, it will take a very long time.”

Huh…?

Wrath’s eyes widened upon hearing the sudden explanation.

“What I’m saying is that I didn’t exactly break the promise, since we can just go now. Am I wrong?”

Well, i-if that’s how it works in the human world…

Although Wrath used to be angry, his eyes turned blank as he started nodding.

“Good. Let’s go.”

Raon snickered and quickly washed himself before heading to the cafeteria. Since the Central Martial Palace had many members, the cafeteria was also large, and people were allowed to order any menu item they wanted.

Since it was already past mealtime, there weren’t that many warriors inside the cafeteria.

First of all, the smoked stir-fried duck, seafood stew mix, oven-baked vegetables, and cream shrimp. Then…

“……”

Wrath was mentioning so many menu items that it was difficult to memorize them. Although Raon was hungry, he didn’t feel like he would be able to eat all that.

Since Wrath waited patiently despite multiple troublesome incidents, Raon decided to eat that much for him and ordered everything he said.

While waiting for the food to be ready, he remembered that the usual message didn’t appear.

Sloth

There was a message about increasing your sleep’s quality with Sloth’s effect while you were sleeping. The system must’ve been focusing on that.

Wrath mumbled that it was a relief that nothing special happened and grinned.

Raon nodded, clenching and opening his fist. His body was still full of vitality, probably thanks to the increased quality of sleep that the message Wrath mentioned referred to.

You should be satisfied with having a good sleep, since wanting some stats on top of that would be unreasonable. A human can’t fully utilize a demon king’s power.

Wrath clicked his tongue, telling him that a demon king’s power wasn’t easy to use.

“Food is ready!”

As Raon was halfheartedly listening to Wrath’s nagging, dishes came from the kitchen one by one.

Although he wasn’t particularly thinking about food, his mouth watered as he smelled that delicious fragrance.

You are nothing but a novice that can’t use the demon king’s power yet. Stop trying to find an easy way to increase your stats and start eating already. For now, the King of Essence wants the stew…

Wrath pointed at the stew while trying to annoy him, and a message appeared.

Raon’s eyes sparkled upon reading the message. Wrath’s mouth shut tight.

“Huh?”

I lost my appetite…