Chapter 77 - A-Rank Examination (2)
A tremendous surge of mana stormed through the air.
Kim Sun-woo shielded his arms against the force pushing him back.
If he'd been alone, he might have retreated to create distance, but Han Su-ah was right behind him.
To ensure she wouldn't get hurt, he summoned his protective sword gang and blocked the raging mana storm.
"...Hoo."
Once the echoes finally subsided, Kim Sun-woo lowered his arms.
But he froze at the unfamiliar landscape unfolding around him.
The space has changed?
This wasn't the Mugung Guild's reception room anymore.
A vast plain swayed gently in a soft breeze.
It had transformed into an entirely different realm.
"Surprised? Stuck in Korea, you wouldn't get to experience something like this often. It's a sub-space artifact, pretty common overseas."
Han Ji-seok chuckled, his cheeks trembling, as he held up a small orb in his hand.
"Oh, and don't worry about that annoying interloper—I left them out. Messing with them would just cause headaches."
"......"
Kim Sun-woo glanced back briefly.
No wonder I couldn't sense anyone. He excluded them from this space.
A sub-space?
It felt similar to entering a dungeon.
Overseas, they'd apparently perfected instant dungeon tech to create artificial ones, and this seemed on par.
Mugung Guild's underground training hall or illusion fields required expensive gear and tech, yet here was a full environment from a single orb.
Shing.
Kim Sun-woo slowly drew his Black Flow Sword.
Having been pulled mid-training, his senses were honed to a razor's edge.
He'd been itching for a proper opponent anyway—these two would make for a decent warm-up.
"You thinking of fighting both of us right now?"
"You barge in and trap me here—what do you expect me to think?"
The released energy began seeping into the surroundings.
Park Eun-hyuk's eye twitched at the heavier-than-expected pressure.
A quick glance at Han Ji-seok earned a nod of approval.
"Fine by me. We can talk business after. No point dancing around anyway—that's not my style."
Clank.
Park Eun-hyuk stepped forward, drawing his sword in kind.
His tempered physique and aura marked him as a skilled swordsman.
Kim Sun-woo eyed Park Eun-hyuk's stance sharply.
Not a sword expert—Western style?
It resembled Robert's spearwork vibe.
Let's test him blade-to-blade...
—Flick.
In a blink, Park Eun-hyuk vanished.
All that remained was a long trajectory slashed through the air.
Clang!
A deafening screech and heavy impact collided right after.
Kim Sun-woo, sword raised defensively, clicked his tongue inwardly in admiration.
Incredibly fast. Like he folded space to charge.
The sword was one thing, but Park Eun-hyuk's movement defied norms.
The naked eye had missed him entirely; only at point-blank did Kim Sun-woo's senses catch on.
Impressive for a sudden ambush.
Yet Kim Sun-woo blocked with minimal effort and glanced at Han Ji-seok floating mid-air.
"What? You think we're ganging up? Against you?"
Han Ji-seok let out a hollow laugh at the look.
"Don't worry. We're not so petty as to gang up on one guy."
"Good to hear."
Kim Sun-woo grinned, coiling power into his toes.
He didn't fully trust them, but they weren't intervening yet.
End this before they regroup.
Crackle.
Azure lightning arced along their locked blades.
Park Eun-hyuk's eyes widened at the surging sword gang, pulling back just as—
"Too slow."
Rumble—!
Deafening thunder roared outward in all directions.
His Nonpareil Thunderclap Strike—now beyond ordinary lightning—targeted Park Eun-hyuk.
Lightning beyond mortal bolts ravaged the field.
He aimed to finish Park Eun-hyuk in one blow and turn on Han Ji-seok, but the man endured.
Crack!
He skidded back, carving long gouges, barely deflecting the assault.
Though at the end, he couldn't hold and was flung aside, cratering the ground.
Still, he'd deflected a sword gang Nonpareil Thunderclap Strike.
"......"
Park Eun-hyuk gripped his sword, panting heavily.
One clash shattered his casual air.
He whipped his head toward Han Ji-seok, who gaped in shock.
"If you came for me, you should've done your homework."
"......!"
A sudden voice from above made him turn—empty space rippled as the Black Flow Sword plummeted.
Park Eun-hyuk raised his sword diagonally, but the overwhelming force crushed him down.
Crack!
Cracks spiderwebbed from his feet, the ground sinking.
As his eyes bulged and teeth gritted—
Kaboom!
Dozens of mana blasts rained from the sky.
Amid the billowing dust, Kim Sun-woo leaped out, flipping mid-air to land lightly.
"No ganging up, right?"
He shot Han Ji-seok a smirking glance; the man clamped his jaw, face stiff.
This wasn't in the Association's intel.
Han Ji-seok wiped sweaty palms on his pants, biting his lip.
They were Association-hired mercenaries, really.
A-rank screenings involved various tests, including handling sudden combats like this.
Both Park Eun-hyuk and Han Ji-seok were overseas B-rank hunters.
B-rank on paper, but power nearing A.
Hired to provoke Kim Sun-woo for the test—pegged as A-rank level, not this monstrous outlier.
Need to change plans.
Kim Sun-woo's gaze spelled murder.
They couldn't reveal the test mid-fight; better to focus and wrap naturally.
"Mist Burn."
Whoosh!
Thick fog blanketed the area, thicker than the dust.
Park Eun-hyuk, seizing the gap to recover, clutched his throbbing arm and stood.
"Careful! Don't let him close in!"
Having clashed head-on, Park Eun-hyuk gauged Kim Sun-woo's prowess.
Gonna demand hazard pay.
Thought it'd be an easy Association gig—didn't expect this.
Crunch.
He bit a hidden pill, feeling euphoria rise from his core.
A common overseas doping agent—stimulated bloodflow, boosted physicals and mana.
Effects varied, hence specialized trainers; minimized side effects standard.
A day or two groggy after, but instant gains were massive.
—Kaboom!
His charge alone triggered a sonic boom.
Twice as fast now—Kim Sun-woo widened his eyes briefly, then shook his head with a chuckle.
"That's why your skills are mediocre—relying on crutches."
"I'll smash that mouth!"
Crunch!
His swung sword split the cratered plain in two.
As debris flew, Park Eun-hyuk realized Kim Sun-woo was gone—and wildly slashed the air.
Whoosh!
Aura blades rivaling sword gang erupted, shredding indiscriminately.
But shallow depth.
Kim Sun-woo sensed something off about Park Eun-hyuk.
Fast and sharp, yes—but his swings lacked profundity.
Like someone who'd maxed body training and mana control, but no deeper foundation.
His core axis was too superficial for his physical realm.
Keeing!
Dodging via Illusion Flow Step, a shrill whine pierced from above.
Evasive footwork blurred through the fog.
Looking up revealed dozens of ice spears of mana aimed his way.
"Fancy footwork. But still just two-dimensional."
Crackle!
At Han Ji-seok's gesture, icy trajectories bombarded the ground.
Sword barrier would block easy, but Kim Sun-woo kicked off air and charged.
Splinter!
Ice spears pierced, spreading crystals—instant freeze zones.
No footing left, yet Kim Sun-woo air-stepped calmly to Han Ji-seok.
Slash.
One stroke rent barrier and ward, exposing flesh.
Shh.
But Han Ji-seok vanished into air as predicted.
Reappearing farther, he shook his head.
"Rude to approach a mage uninvited."
"No problem."
Kim Sun-woo didn't mind missing; he reversed his grip and raised a finger.
"I planned to take you first anyway."
—Flick!
The sudden Thunderbolt Finger slammed space.
Pure inner energy bolt pierced the air.
Park Eun-hyuk, ambushing from behind, took it full-on.
"Urk...!"
Pure sword gang inner energy concentrate.
Hit mid-air, Park Eun-hyuk plummeted.
Kaboom!
A new crater scarred the frozen tundra.
Seeing his partner downed in one hit, Han Ji-seok furrowed his brow in horror.
"What the—fuck, how?!"
Doped up and still retired by a single technique?
Whoosh—!
No time to gape—Kim Sun-woo loomed behind him.
Those Association bastards.
Should've given real intel.
What "near A-rank"—this was a monster.
Han Ji-seok crushed the orb without hesitation.
...The sharp rupture in his ear signaled the first stage of A-rank promotion complete.
Pop!
Back in Mugung Guild's reception room, Kim Sun-woo paused briefly.
He moved to subdue them, but someone stepped forward first.
Flick. Flick-flick.
Light wind bursts pinned Han Ji-seok and Park Eun-hyuk.
Realizing late, Kim Sun-woo widened his eyes and looked up.
"Guild Master?"
"Good work. Who'd have thought they'd infiltrate and try terrorism inside."
Han Kang-seok dusted his hands; Han Ji-seok sighed in relief, head lolling like a near-death survivor.