Revealing My True Strength
The clash rang out with a sharp clang! But contrary to my expectations, my carefully prepared move was blocked far too easily. The man drew the sword from his left hip—the one he hadn't unsheathed even once until now.
In the game, dual swords were a symbol of certain defeat. But in the ruthless world of Murim, where a single mistake could cost your life, choosing to wield such a difficult style was proof of exceptional skill.
"To think I'd have to draw both blades against a mere examinee."
The man facing me said this with a sly grin. Unlike before, his eyes now burned with a competitive spirit.
"Tch!"
With no choice but to retreat, I stared quietly at the man now holding a sword in each hand. Even before drawing them, he had shown no openings. Now that both blades were free, it felt like not even a needle could pierce his defense.
Only one move remained. If I could get past this final exchange safely, I would pass the second test. But judging by the man's demeanor, he wasn't about to let me off easily.
Can't be helped.
In that case, I had no choice but to respond with my strongest technique: Dragon Serpent Ascent.
"Huu—"
I steadied my ragged breathing, roughened by the short but fierce bout. In battle, excitement was forbidden. To avoid being led by the enemy's intentions, I had to observe the situation with absolute calm.
I focused the qi spreading throughout my body into both legs. The decisive moment would end in the blink of an eye.
Then—
Tap!
The man and I moved at the exact same time.
The technique the man chose was a thrust. His two swords overlapped into one, stabbing forward with the ferocious momentum of a dragon.
Matching it was the eighth form of the Tang Family Fist—Dragon Serpent Ascent. A so-called "unblockable" technique. By striking two vital points simultaneously with both fists, it forced an ultimate dilemma: block one, and you cannot protect the other.
However, using this technique also left my own defense vulnerable, making the timing for it extremely difficult to judge in normal circumstances.
"……."
A heavy silence fell over the examination hall.
The final tenth exchange.
The victor was—
"Excellent. This year's new students are all quite skilled."
It was me, who had stopped my fist just before striking his vital points.
The examiner had no reason to take an examinee's life. It was that belief that allowed me to attack a little more boldly than my opponent. It might sound good to call it a "trade flesh for bone" strategy, but in a world with poor medical care, even a small wound turning septic could leave someone crippled. Normally, no one would pull such a crazy stunt.
But I had rolled the dice, and that gamble paid off beautifully. I had won a round against an examiner.
"I never imagined you'd press in even further. Truly unexpected."
The examiner who had sparred with me in that friendly match spoke while extending his right hand.
"If you hadn't hesitated, sir, I would have been the one to lose."
I shook his hand and recalled the moment. The technique he had used was a powerful thrust called Double Dragon Emerges from Water. It was a move that gathered both sword tips into one and charged the enemy. Normally, anyone facing such a technique would flinch and either dodge with a big motion or desperately block it. Instead, I dove straight into his embrace.
If he had truly intended to, the examiner could have adjusted his sword's trajectory midway. But because he had no desire to take my life, he hesitated for a split second. I used that hesitation to successfully land Dragon Serpent Ascent.
If both fists had struck his vital points cleanly, the examiner standing before me wouldn't have been able to remain standing. Considering that, it was fair to call it a draw.
"Magnificent!"
At that moment, someone shouted. When I turned my head, the woman who had been standing on the platform earlier—the one called the Sword Empress—was clapping as she approached us.
"To think an examinee would put up such a strong fight against examiners who are all Peak realm masters."
What? They were Peak realm masters?
When I looked at the male examiner with a shocked expression, he awkwardly averted his gaze. It seemed he was embarrassed about feeling competitive against a mere examinee.
Whether he was or not, the Sword Empress, who had come close, met my eyes and let out a soft chuckle.
"If my eyes do not deceive me, that fist technique you used just now—was it not the Tang Family Fist practiced by Senior Poison King Tang Ho-chang?"
"…That's correct."
The examiner beside her muttered in surprise.
"The Poison King had a disciple?"
"Eh? No, um, I'm not his official disciple…"
Hearing that, I panicked and began to stammer. If this misunderstanding that I was the Poison King's disciple spread, it would become a huge hassle later. But explaining my complicated relationship with Tang Ho-chang would take far too long, so I made a quick decision.
"Um, could both of you please keep this a secret? I don't want to draw unnecessary attention inside the academy."
Realizing what I meant, the Sword Empress made a slightly surprised face and said "Oh my—" before nodding in understanding. The examiner who had sparred with me did the same.
Phew, that took ten years off my life.
It was better to just pretend to be a hidden master cosplaying as a weakling than to have this fact spread publicly and be misunderstood as the Poison King's disciple. Such things were surprisingly common in the martial world anyway.
"Nice! I won!"
Even after my turn, several others managed to win a round against the examiners. However, according to what the Sword Empress had said earlier, all the examiners selected this time were Peak realm masters. It seemed they had held back their strength somewhat. If they had gone all out, it would have been impossible for examinees to even compete.
Fortunately, Tang Soso also passed the second test safely. As for the last one, Dokgo Rin, she was the strongest among us, so there was no need to worry. It was clear that all of us would pass.
Finally, the examiner called out the name of Dokgo Rin, who had been waiting the entire time.
"Examinee number 845! Dokgo Rin!"
"Then I'll be back, Chilbok."
"Ah, yeah. Good luck."
When I cheered for her in a small voice, Dokgo Rin smiled brightly and nodded. Although her face was hidden behind a veil and I couldn't see her lips move, I could tell from the way her eyes curved that she was genuinely happy.
And so, Dokgo Rin's second test began.
"I look forward to your guidance."
After exchanging greetings with the examiner, she spoke with an icy expression that made the smile she had shown me seem like an illusion. It was nice as her boyfriend that she only smiled at me, but I worried she might end up earning the resentment of random people. After all, they didn't say human relationships were important in society for nothing.
"I will learn from you, miss."
The rather sleazy-looking male examiner said this as he took his stance. In response, Dokgo Rin remained in a natural state. Although her hands rested on both sword hilts, she did not draw them for some reason.
A strange psychological battle continued. Surprisingly, it was the examiner who moved first.
"Hup!"
With a wide stride, his blade shot forward powerfully. It was probably just a probing attack. Dokgo Rin dodged it by a paper's width, then drew her sword from its sheath and spun it in a circle, slashing upward from below.
But the examiner skillfully avoided it. Dokgo Rin immediately drew her second blade from the other sheath and pursued him. The exchange happened in the blink of an eye. Neither seemed to be using any special techniques, yet just watching them made it clear their level was exceptionally high.
"Hahaha! Your skill is incredible, miss!"
The examiner fighting Dokgo Rin shouted as if he were enjoying himself, but she simply swung her swords in silence.
Like that, eight exchanges passed in an instant. With only two remaining, the examiner spoke.
"Since we've met like this, it must be fate. How about we have a cup of tea in front of the academy once the test is over?"
Dokgo Rin's eyebrows twitched. It seemed his sudden flirtation had rubbed her the wrong way.
"If you can defeat me, I'll consider it."
Ah, she's going to get serious now.
I immediately sensed it from her words. But the examiner, unaware of this, seemed to think she had accepted his invitation and was grinning from ear to ear. Well, he could dream all he wanted.
Then came the ninth exchange.
Dokgo Rin gripped the sword in her right hand in a reverse hold. I recognized that preparatory stance. It was one of the nine forms of the Nine Palace Matchless Sword Art—the Sword Breaking Form.
According to the original novel, the Sword Breaking Form was literally created to thoroughly counter swords.
Immediately after, both the examiner and Dokgo Rin moved at the same time. The examiner's movement was not much different from before, but Dokgo Rin's was.
In an instant, she caught the examiner's sword tip through the hole in the side of her blade, then yanked it to open his guard. At the same time, the sword in her other hand aimed straight for his throat.
"What—!"
The examiner, subdued in the blink of an eye, shouted with a face full of humiliation. But Dokgo Rin simply replied with a calm expression.
"It seems this is my victory, doesn't it?"
The examiner could say nothing. He simply lowered his head.