Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Overwhelming Gap (2)
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The number of examinees who had gathered in the settlement hall had dwindled to nearly half compared to the start.
This was due to a significant number retiring over the two-week competition.
As a result, the examinees were all in a state of shock.
They had personally experienced the outcome of their first taste of cutthroat competition.
Some even wore fiercely murderous glares.
But the examiners showed no particular reaction to this.
It was a rite of passage they witnessed every year, after all.
However, they were surprised for a different reason.
The number of final survivors was far higher than the annual average.
-They said this year's batch has the highest talent ever...!
-The Northern Four Young Masters, who would normally easily claim top spot in any other year, are actually lagging behind.
-Theo Ragnar... he's no one to underestimate.
-Even Ray Ragnar, known as the weakest among the Northern Four, took second place.
-And that's not all. We have to watch Erika Ranke, Holkus Ranke's sister. She's definitely a prodigy.
-Even with Axion Ragnar dead, there's no sense of loss at all.
Amid such murmurs of opinion,
the examinees once again lost their wits upon seeing the final results.
-Theo Ragnar is first again?
-I heard Axion and the Dragon Society retired... but it was really true?
-It's not just retirement—rumor has it some actually died.
-Even with the Dragon Society there. This is insane.
-How the hell are we supposed to beat that guy?
-I'm already worried about the third exam...
-The top rank hasn't been officially announced yet. Let's wait and see a bit more.
-He's coming!
At someone's shout, all the examinees' gazes turned toward the entrance.
Theo and Ray were entering the settlement hall.
Whatever they had been doing, both were covered in dust and grime.
Yet no one dared to look down on them.
The sharp glint in their eyes was too fierce.
Even some examiners flinched.
-Both of them... they've become completely different people after this exam.
Theo bowed his head to the judge standing on the platform.
“I was a bit late because we were finishing off the last monster.”
While the judge silently nodded, the examiner in front of the scoreboard urgently revised the scores after receiving a whisper from another examiner.
[Final Rankings]
1st. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)
2nd. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)
3rd. Erika Ranke (926 points)
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“Up by two hundred points at once?”
“Ray Ragnar gained a hundred points too...!”
“Crazy...!”
“What the hell did they do in that time?”
As everyone buzzed in commotion, the judge let out a lion's roar.
“Silence, all of you—!”
The hall fell quiet as if doused with ice water.
“Theo Ragnar and Ray Ragnar were late because they were hunting a Rank 5 monster, the ‘Mana Sword Tiger.’ The supervising examiner has confirmed no procedural issues, so no objections will be entertained—!”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The Mana Sword Tiger was known as a notoriously difficult Rank 5 monster to hunt, with bones and hide so tough that blades wouldn't penetrate, and blinding speed to boot.
Especially since they lived in packs of three or four, their conquest difficulty was said to rival Rank 4 monsters.
Yet succeeding in the hunt meant they had taken down three or four at once.
An achievement so outstanding that even the judge, bound by duty not to show personal feelings, couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
“Theo Ragnar and Ray Ragnar, remain in place.”
Theo and Ray bowed their heads and took their positions.
In that moment, Theo's and Wellington's eyes met briefly.
‘You’ve improved even more in that short time. As expected of Young Master Theo. Impressively so—too impressive.’
Wellington let out a hollow chuckle at how much wider the gap had grown with Theo.
‘He’s changed. Did something happen?’
Theo, for his part, was equally surprised by Wellington's completely transformed aura.
He had wondered if something was wrong, given how his scores didn't match his skill.
It seemed he had been pursuing something entirely separate from the exam.
‘What kind of opportunity did he stumble upon?’
Theo was already curious about the secret weapon his closest friend in this life possessed.
“Now that everyone is gathered, we begin the final tally—!”
At the judge's declaration, Theo and the examinees' gazes all turned toward him.
However, the quick-witted among the examinees tilted their heads in doubt.
-Final tally?
-Does that mean the rankings there aren't the end?
“When I announced the content of this second exam, I clearly stated that we would see results combining these scores. But in truth, the exam consisted of two parts. Does anyone know what the other one was?”
Instantly, confusion spread across the examinees' faces.
Another exam content, out of nowhere?
“Those who know, raise your hands.”
A few hands went up.
Theo and Wellington.
‘So his opportunity was the hidden seals?’
Theo looked surprised at Wellington.
Wellington glanced back with a wry smile.
‘How did this happen? In his previous life, Wellington definitely didn't uncover the hidden piece.’
Discovering the secret of the hidden seal method was something that happened once per generation, if at all.
It had been the same in his previous life.
Even in Theo's generation, hailed as the greatest ever, only one person had figured it out.
Now there were two.
Wellington included.
How on earth?
‘Could it be... the butterfly effect?’
As Theo pondered this, suddenly two more hands shot up from elsewhere.
One was right beside him.
“Ray?”
“That's not fair, Theo. Keeping it from me too. Did you think I wouldn't notice?”
Ray narrowed her eyes slightly and grumbled.
Theo gave a wry smile.
She must have caught on while examining the patterns inside the demon statue multiple times beside him.
‘Maybe I should have explained it to her beforehand. This is just causing needless misunderstanding. Meanwhile, over there... unchanged.’
Theo glanced sideways while wondering how to placate Ray.
Beside Holkus Ranke, a woman with a strikingly similar face had her hand raised just as high.
‘Erika Ranke.’
Holkus Ranke's older sister.
Heir to the Ranke family and the once-in-a-generation genius known as the ‘White Bear.’
She had been the sole discoverer of the hidden seal method in the original timeline.
‘The future I knew is starting to veer off course, bit by bit.’
Theo wrestled with how to interpret this outcome.
He had anticipated changes starting from when he made his mark and Axion died.
But seeing entirely unintended results still left a strange feeling.
Whether this would bring good fortune or disaster in the future...
He couldn't even guess.
“Four people figured out the secret? This generation truly is different.”
Of course, the judge, completely unaware, wore a subtle smile at the unexpected result.
From the Ragnar family's perspective, the emergence of talents could only be welcome.
He then pointed at the raised hands one by one.
“First, Erika Ranke. What did you obtain? Your answer will determine additional points.”
Erika stepped forward and replied.
“‘Flame.’”
“How many?”
“Four.”
“Demonstrate.”
The examinees, unaware of the hidden piece's existence, alternated glances between the judge and Erika, then widened their eyes.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Crackle, crackle—
A surge of mana wind swirled around Erika, and tiny embers began sparking above it.
And then.
Roooar!
The embers connected, forming a massive will-o'-wisp that spun wildly around her.
-A-attribute manifestation...!
Imbuing mana with attributes was a privilege granted only to executives or recognized prodigies within the Ragnar family.
The shock was inevitable.
“Erika Ranke, pass. 100 points per seal, total 400 points awarded.”
The scoreboard updated swiftly with the judge's declaration.
[Final Rankings]
1st. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)
2nd. Erika Ranke (1,326 points)
3rd. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)
.
-The rankings changed...!
The examinees buzzed in surprise, but Erika's expression was far from satisfied.
Even this wasn't enough to reclaim first.
“Ray Ragnar, what did you obtain?”
“‘Frost.’”
“How many?”
“Two.”
“Demonstrate.”
Ray nodded and drew her sword.
With a light inhale, she activated her mana, and the surrounding temperature plummeted as a blizzard swept in.
Crackle crackle—
Where Ray swung her sword,
ice spread in all directions, sprouting sharp ice spikes atop it.
In that instant, Erika's brow twitched as she watched.
The combination of her Ice White Dance style and frost attribute exceeded her expectations.
If Ray had even one more?
Erika's flames wouldn't have stood a chance.
“Ray Ragnar, pass. 200 points awarded.”
Clink—
Ray sheathed her sword quietly.
Her final score: 1,302 points.
Just 20 short of Erika, locking her in third, but her face showed no real concern.
“Next, Wellington Narsio. What did you obtain?”
Wellington answered with an inscrutable expression.
“‘Water Flow.’”
“Water current, then. How many?”
“Eight.”
Erika's and Ray's gazes snapped toward him.
Especially Erika—flames seemed ready to burst from her eyes.
She had collected only four seals, nearly abandoning monster hunts.
Twice as many?
“Hoh? Is that true? Five or more is rare even in other generations. Eight, just one short of perfection?”
The examinees buzzed furiously.
If true, a fifteen-year-old trainee swordsman had nearly mastered a complete attribute seal method.
Their starting line would be worlds apart.
“Lie, and you'll be penalized.”
“I'll prove it.”
Shing—
Wellington slowly drew his broadsword.
He glanced at Theo, steadied his breath, and closed his eyes.
Mental focus.
And then.
Fsssh—
Water streams emerged one by one around Wellington, swirling into orbs.
-N-Not just attribute manifestation, but control too...?
-Wait, he just found the seal method this time! How is that even possible!
The examinees' shock was turning to chaos.
Imbuing, manifestation, control, expansion, aura blade.
Among the five stages of attribute mastery, displaying the third stage already was prodigious talent.
Soon, six water orbs formed around Wellington.
Then, he opened his eyes.
Simultaneously, the orbs dispersed into a massive vortex.
The water streams composing it were compressed like razor blades, their whooshing so eerie it rang in the examinees' ears.
[Water Flow Seal Method – Blade Vortex]
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Splash splash splash!
“Impressive.”
The judge admired the sight softly, then—
Flash—
He kicked off the platform, arriving before Wellington in an instant.
Movement like teleportation.
Thrusting his right hand into the blade vortex.
Target: Wellington's face.
Wellington flinched at the judge's unforeseen reaction but responded calmly.
[Narsio Secret Art – Lion's Fang]
Like a lion sinking fangs into prey's nape.
Wellington thrust with his broadsword.
A simple motion, but with the blade vortex clustering around the edge, it transformed entirely.
Unbelievably sharp.
The judge's hand blade clashed with the broadsword's tip.
Boom—
The blade vortex shattered, water spraying everywhere,
and Wellington staggered back several steps, vomiting blood.
Internal injury.
“Straighten your stance!”
Two waiting examiners landed behind Wellington.
One supported him, the other pressed a palm to his back, channeling mana to aid recovery.
Fortunately, color slowly returned to his pale face as time passed.
“I seem to have forgotten my duty in my excitement. Sorry for the trouble.”
Wellington straightened and saluted with his sword at the judge's apologetic words, hands behind his back.
“No, sir. Thanks to you, I grasped a clue to my breathing technique. Thank you.”
Wellington meant it.
To others, it might seem a mere attack, but the judge's footwork and hand blade... they sparked brilliant inspiration.
He wanted to rush back to his quarters and reflect on it.
Master this, and he'd leap a stage or more.
The judge's smile deepened.
A master of water flow seal method himself.
He had shown a move out of excitement for Wellington's talent—and it seemed he'd given more than that.
‘A true prodigy... Shame he's born to Narsio, not Ragnar. Narsio will flourish soon. Or perhaps?’
The judge's eyes gleamed momentarily at Wellington.
A late-life whim to take a disciple stirred faintly in his chest.
“Wellington Narsio, pass. In addition to the seals, deep understanding of the attribute—additional 900 points.”
The scoreboard changed again.
[Final Rankings]
1st. Wellington Narsio (1,689 points)
2nd. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)
3rd. Erika Ranke (1,326 points)
4th. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)
.
-First place changed!
-Those scores could flip like that...?
-Other generations consider over 1,000 a lock for top, but ours...
The examinees' shock had turned to despair.
Then, following the judge, all eyes turned to Theo.
His final tally remained.
The judge spoke.
“Theo Ragnar! What did you obtain, and how many?”