Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Secret of the Totem (1)
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‘The basics of the Frostwhite Style are coldness and sharpness. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to enhance the ferocity of [Dragon’s Three Claws].’
The cold midwinter wind blows in with brutal ferocity.
In the blink of an eye, it blinds you and buries you in a blizzard.
By the time you come to your senses, frostbite is common.
Theo thought the Frostwhite Style resembled that midwinter wind exactly.
The sharpness that drives enemies to death in the blink of an eye.
He had worked to incorporate that principle into [Dragon’s Three Claws],
and had succeeded to some extent in refining his sword path.
Crackle—
Even cold frost lingered along the path his sword had traced.
‘This should let me strengthen the Burst Strike too.’
Theo gave a light smile.
While treating Ray, his understanding of the Frostwhite Style had deepened significantly, and he’d wanted to organize it like this.
As expected, once he finished sorting it out, his sword path felt much sharper and cleaner than before.
The fact that he could keep refining and strengthening his own swordsmanship.
Theo berated himself for not realizing how fun this was all these years.
That was when.
“……?”
Theo belatedly sensed someone staring at him intently from somewhere and turned his head.
Ray was watching him.
‘Oh no.’
He hadn’t noticed her wake up, too focused on training.
How much of his training had she seen?
She couldn’t have missed the traces of the Frostwhite Style. As he scrambled for an excuse,
“That’s not how you do it.”
“……?”
Ray suddenly picked up her sword, stood, and swung it through the air a couple times.
Whoosh—
Much more concise and swift movements than Theo’s.
Yet so sharp that even the mere sword wind left marks on the cave floor.
“Swinging it like you’re throwing the sword is good, but the pull-back is unnatural. The Frostwhite Divine Sword isn’t just about sharpness. Look at the traces of ferocity left on the floor.”
Explaining the secrets to someone who’d spied on and learned her swordsmanship?
Theo found Ray’s thinking hard to read, but he examined the sword marks she’d left as instructed.
They were pristine.
As if carefully sliced.
“Now look at yours.”
By contrast, Theo’s traces were jagged and rough somehow.
“Ah……!”
“See the difference?”
Theo nodded, and Ray gave a faint smile.
For a moment, Theo was quite startled.
In his past life or this one, it was the first time he’d seen her express emotion like that.
“Swordsmanship is as important in the recovery as the swing. Swing like you’re throwing the sword, pull back like you’re reeling it in. Make those motions flow smoothly without breaking.”
Theo seemed to grasp a clue from her words and pondered briefly.
Ray watched him still faintly smiling.
She believed he could understand fully.
‘If I can help like this.’
Ray was thrilled for the first time that she’d been of help to Theo.
A moment later, Theo finished pondering and gripped Drake’s blade again.
“Annoying as it might be, could you watch one more time?”
Ray nodded, saying it wasn’t annoying at all.
Whoosh—
Theo began swinging his sword again.
* * *
“This is around here, right?”
“I told you it is! He left a stab wound in his side, so he couldn’t have gone far!”
Orient stroked his chin and gave a cold smile.
While he and Axion had been steadily hunting beasts, news came of Ray’s injury.
Orient saw this as the perfect chance for Axion to solidify his first place.
‘If I render him completely combat-incapable here, no one will be able to touch Axion anymore.’
Axion’s current score was 431 points.
Considering the other applicants’ average was under 100, it was an overwhelming lead.
Thanks to Orient and the Dragon Pupil Society crew funneling most points to him.
The problem was second-place Ray’s score in the 300s, rapidly closing in.
Even though she was moving solo without a team.
Then, an unexpected chance to retire Ray arose.
‘And the clash happened where Hyde’s gang traces were found... Theo’s probably nearby too.’
Moments ago, Ed had secretly relayed via the proctor:
-Keep Theo Ragnar from falling to the Elder Council Leader’s beast.
He didn’t know why he was supposed to help that guy suddenly.
Because of that, Orient had split from Axion to find Theo.
And conveniently, their paths aligned perfectly.
If he could block Hyde’s gang and retire Ray too.
It’d be a perfect scenario.
‘No, one stone three birds. I can just smash Theo’s limbs while I’m at it.’
Orient still hadn’t forgotten the moment Theo severed his friends’ arms and wrecked the banquet hall,
or how that upstart dared stare him straight in the eye.
He planned to avenge that humiliation somehow.
Ed said save Theo, but not unscathed, right?
Just keep him breathing.
Just keep him breathing.
‘The Plum Palace guys are looking for you too... Heh! No way you’ll make it through this exam unscathed, you cripple.’
Orient felt satisfied imagining Theo clinging to his ankle, sobbing and begging for mercy.
“Where is it? Lead the way.”
* * *
Was it thanks to the advice and conversation about swordsmanship?
Theo and Ray grew close rapidly, without awkwardness.
“There are a lot of people targeting you. Be careful.”
Ray said with a serious expression.
Having clashed with the Dragon Pupil Society and such, it was clear they’d return with more numbers soon.
So they needed to prepare for that, she thought.
“Fortunately, this is still an undiscovered safe zone, so we can buy time for a whi—...!”
Ray trailed off, tilting her head.
Theo gave an ambiguous smile and walked deeper into the cave.
There, under a massive magic circle, sat a totem shaped like a ‘horse’.
A totem that repelled beasts.
Around it were piles of supplies like food and weapons.
“……?”
Grabbing a meal?
Ray tilted her head, unsure what Theo was doing.
Then.
Thud!
Theo suddenly yanked the totem from the ground and smashed it.
“You……!”
Ray couldn’t comprehend Theo’s action at all.
The totem created a safe zone that repelled beasts and provided supplies.
Destroying it nullified all the magic...!
For them, who needed to seize every chance, it was nonsense.
But Theo didn’t answer her question right away.
His gaze fixed on the indigo orb left from the shattered totem.
“What’s that?”
“Beast-summoning magic tool. Or guiding tool? Something like that. The effect is totally different inside the totem versus out.”
“……What?”
Ray’s eyes widened.
A device like this hidden in the totem?
That instant.
Rumble—
The ground began to tremble faintly.
Ray’s spine chilled involuntarily. Her senses, honed by years of sword training, screamed.
A terrifyingly strong beast nearby.
At least rank 6, indigo or higher...!
‘Indigo? No way?’
Ray glanced at the orb in Theo’s hand. Indigo.
“Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. The seven colors, higher means stronger beast rank, but exponentially higher points too. This is for that. To earn points.”
“……!”
Ray finally grasped Theo’s aim.
Whatever he’d done so far, Theo had zero points, no beasts killed.
But if he selectively hunted strong beasts in the remaining time?
A quick reversal was possible.
And if he could summon them on demand like this, even better.
The problem was.
“But……!”
“You’re wondering how two of us take down an indigo beast unprepared?”
Ray nodded gravely at Theo’s question.
As he said, rank 6 beasts were too strong for any number of trainee swordsmen.
But.
“Who said we’re unprepared?”
“What?”
“If there’s a hidden piece like this, there’s a hidden counter to it too. The Awakening Ceremony tests applicants’ abilities, not kills them.”
Theo rummaged through the piled supplies, pulling out a few items,
“Right?”
Ray let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
Theo was right.
Who’d expect weapons like these hidden amid the essentials.
“……But even with these, can we two handle it?”
Ray still worried.
Theo just smiled calmly.
“Don’t worry. We won’t be the only ones hunting the beast.”
“……?”
Ray tilted her head, not understanding.
Right then.
-Aaaah!
-W-what is this...!
-Why’s an indigo beast here of all places...! Graaah!
-Block it! Hurry!
A massive commotion erupted outside the cave.
Ding, ding—
Along with the magic bell tolling the beast’s appearance.
Ray’s eyes widened.
“Wanna go watch?”
Theo rose with a cold smile.
* * *
“Shields! Shields up front!”
“I-I left the shield in the safe zone ‘cause it was heavy to carry...!”
“What the hell! Then how do we block that?! Fuck!”
Orient’s gang, tracking Ray’s trail, was in chaos.
A sandworm had burst from the ground suddenly.
A sandworm!
A beast from desert zones, appearing in the cold Winter Mountains? Questionable,
but erupting right under their path was the real issue.
Of fifteen members, three got sucked into its gut, seven rolled down the slope with injuries.
Two-thirds retired instantly.
The remaining five hastily formed ranks to resist somehow.
But the sandworm’s menace and terror froze them.
One wrong block, and worse injuries.
The problem: dallying meant more losses.
Groooar—
The sandworm, uninterested in the rest, vanished into its hole swiftly.
Gulp!
Orient and the applicants swallowed dryly, faces tense.
The tension of not knowing where it’d strike next amplified their fear.
It’d be nice if it left, but the faint ground tremors showed it lurked below, waiting.
Like a shark under the surface eyeing prey.
“F-f-fuck...! We came for Ray and this happens...!”
Orient’s legs shook uncontrollably.
“When it’s this bad...! The proctors...! They have to...! Come save us!”
He bellowed for unseen proctors nearby, but no response.
“F-fuck……!”
Finally, as terror soaked Orient’s pants,
Boom!
The ground ahead shattered, sandworm erupting.
Crunch, crunch—chunks of the two applicants it snatched poured from its maw.
Shrieeek—
It charged Orient next. Dozens of jagged teeth gleamed cruelly in its gaping mouth.
“A, aaaah!”
As Orient paled and squeezed his eyes shut,
Kraroom!
Lightning crashed from the sky, smashing the sandworm’s head in one blow.
Thud……!
Sizzle—
The headless bulk collapsed limply.
Pale steam rose from the charred stump.
Tremble...
Orient stared from the ground.
Atop the corpse.
A familiar-faced man stood like a conqueror.
Theo.