A-Class Promotion Exam (7): Through Earth and Shadow
I stared into my opponent's eyes. The hood pulled low over his head, combined with the oxygen mask strapped on, covered more than half his face, making it impossible to read his expression clearly.
Beyond imagination. This guy's insanely well-trained.
His clothes strained against packed muscles that stood out sharply. No way that body came from ordinary training. The quality and feel of those muscles were on another level entirely. Without a doubt, he'd been pumped full of drugs... and pushed through extreme training that shattered human limits.
The Association.
I figured he'd gone through their so-called "injection-style" curriculum. Most Association awakeners had bodies like that. Personally, I wasn't a fan. Sure, it boosted growth potential, but it killed off individual aptitudes and strengths in favor of shoving a standardized system down your throat.
The polar opposite of Kwonwang's training philosophy.
A sharp intake of breath came from behind me. I glanced back to see Dang Mari swallowing hard. Her face, slick with cold sweat, showed confusion, doubt, and raw fear for her life.
Things were starting to make sense.
They prepared three from the start.
Hwangbo Han and Dang Mari were the vanguard, meant to drain my stamina, weaken me, and force me to burn through my abilities. And this hooded bastard was the finisher, ready to swoop in and steal the kill.
"Sunbae Geum Tae-nyeo. You know this guy?"
"...Junior. I'm not Geum Tae-nyeo... And to answer your question... no, first time seeing him."
"Got it."
They'd planned to ditch her from the beginning. Makes sense why she pulled the pin on those grenades without hesitation.
Our eyes met for a split second.
"H-how... did you... know...?"
Fuck, why's this asshole talking like Jeon Eunbyeol? I pushed the thought aside.
"I can hear your heartbeat clear as day from the ground. How could I not know?"
At my words, not just the hood, but even Dang Mari sitting there gawked at me blankly. I felt a tiny sting of hurt. What, staring at me like I'm some monster?
Master. Their reaction is perfectly normal.
Kay. Even you're saying that?
"...I-insane."
"Even if you don't know him... throwing grenades at your teammate? Are you fucking crazy?"
Of course, I didn't mean it sincerely. I wasn't some hot-blooded kid preaching morals.
But I can gauge his reaction.
The hood's expression darkened rapidly. He glanced at Dang Mari for a moment, then looked away and muttered softly.
"Sorry... but no choice... I have to win."
Not the cold-blooded killer type, then. Usually, the last one standing is the ruthless bastard who presses without mercy.
Not guilt... more like...
Those pupils, crushed by something. Hands barely holding back fear. A frail demeanor all around. Looked like he had his reasons.
Not my problem, though.
"...Sorry."
With a quiet apology, the hood charged forward. His frail vibe vanished in an instant, replaced by blinding speed. I looked down—both ankles sank into the ground, sliding forward like he was skating.
That unique footwork.
Movement technique.
I swung my left leg in perfect timing.
Srrrrk—
In a flash, his body dipped below. Like diving into a pool, he vanished into the ground, out of sight.
Didn't misread it.
Rare and powerful unique ability. Seen it only twice in my past life. Exact mechanism unknown, but every aspect is a pain in the ass.
Vibrations rumbled from the ground. Rough breathing and faint heartbeat followed. I immediately leaped back.
Srrk—
No sooner had I moved than his arm burst up through the surface. I analyzed him on the fly.
Doesn't phase through living targets on attacks, just the ground. High versatility limited to objects. But stamina drain is huge.
Mana churned wildly in the earth—he couldn't sustain it long.
Not like Dang Mari with her endless ammo barrage.
Can't pull off fancy combos forever. The ground heaved again. Same attack? Instinct said no. I clenched my fist and slammed it down.
Petrification Skin (Lv.3)
Boom—!
My rock-covered fist thrust out a pillar the size of an adult man. Runes etched into it screamed magic, not skill.
Earth magic plus material penetration, a metal-hard body, and agile footwork.
Pure close-quarters specialist, more than Hwangbo Han or Dang Mari. Lowest raw firepower of the three, but the trickiest.
Master. There's space behind the pillar!
...!
He emerged smoothly from inside the pillar, like he'd been hiding there all along, upper body first.
Ping—
The safety pins pulled. Over ten grenades flew at me as he lunged, body tackling straight in.
"You little shit..."
BOOM!
Explosions blanketed the plaza in smoke. Then, a silver flash cut through. I sliced the rising flames in half and scanned around.
No sign of him.
Stay calm.
Focus.
I poured my senses into every gap. Something approached. The moment I sensed it, a squelching sound hit, and my legs sank into the ground. Like stepping into quicksand—ankles trapped deep.
Material penetration works at range too.
Smart move to strip my mobility. Then he burst out like a fish. Hood channeled mana into both fists, thrusting in a sharp, concise boxing stance.
Boxing...
Well-versed in martial arts overall. His punches had real form.
I sensed the incoming mass and dodged with minimal movement.
"...!"
His shocked face—he hadn't expected such a clean response. Attacks kept coming: hooks, uppercuts, straight combos. When those failed, kicks mixed in. I read them all, evading without a scratch.
"...Hah... hah."
Time wore on, and his stamina cracked first. Teeth gritted, he charged. Low waist, aggressive approach—a wrestling tackle.
Grab—!
His arms locked my waist. The ground gripping my ankles softened instantly, hoisting my upper body up. He arched back for a German suplex. I'd seen it a few times, but never this clean in real combat.
"Nice."
"...!"
I twisted my legs, spinning my body. The rebound broke his grip. I caught his panicked face mid-air, then whipped a kick into his gut.
"Guhk!"
Choking gasps as he crumpled, knees buckling. Crimson glow lit his eyes. He poured all mana into his hands.
Ultimate skill.
His last desperate stand—realizing ambushes, brawls, mind games all failed.
Clap!
Hands pressed together, he slammed the ground.
Rumble—!
The earth shook. Trees splintered amid surging energy.
One second later, massive rectangular earth walls rose, forming jaws.
??? uses Subterranean Colossus (A-)
I faced the closing earthen jaws and channeled mana into my blade.
End it here.
Focus sharpened. My gripped sword gleamed faint blue, blade surface mirror-clear, reflecting my face.
I stepped into Dragon Corner stance. Re-embodying past life's sword realm, I slashed horizontally.
Multi-Slash proficiency has increased!
Multi-Slash level has risen!
Swordsman's Zenith proficiency has increased!
Swordsman's Zenith level has risen!
The air screamed as it tore. One flash—one slash bisected the walls. Eerie noise exploded as dozens of sword waves scattered. Chunks of earth rained down, wrecking the forest.
I saw his disbelieving eyes. Then a straight sword cut carved across his chest.
He toppled. I ruffled my hair, watching him crumple.
"I held back on the power."
He'd need some recovery time, but...
Fun fight, but three in a row's wearing me out.
Master. Two people are approaching.
I turned at Kay's words. Two figures headed our way.
"Choi Siwoo-ssi!"
Yubin arrived beaming. Clearly pumped, she grabbed my arm and shook it up and down.
"Incredible. I watched on the screen, but it's unreal—utterly absurd swordplay."
"Yeah, well..."
"Hahaha! Anyway, with this, the exam is... Huh? Hasuman Inspector?"
I followed Yubin's puzzled gaze. The mustached man wasn't coming to me—he'd stopped in front of the fallen hood. He glared down like he might explode any second.