The Trial of Tarosque (5)
"...?"
Adelia's eyes widened in astonishment.
In the very center of the banquet hall, Gaon was dancing alongside the mannequins.
Click.
Every single time the music ground to a halt, he froze in place with uncanny, ghost-like precision, as if he had anticipated the exact millisecond.
His hearing is completely paralyzed... How on earth is he doing that?
She couldn't wrap her head around it.
His movements were so fluid and natural that the notion of his hearing being impaired felt like an outright lie.
"Sir Gaon!"
Right then, Professor Biorf began to squawk in annoyance.
"Why are you humoring these things and playing along with their childish games? Just give me the word, and I'll blow them all to smithereens with my magic! Just say the word!"
"Wait quietly for my instructions. And do not make another sound."
"Yes! Understood... Wait, what?"
Gaon was conversing with Professor Biorf as if nothing were amiss. There was absolutely no barrier to their communication.
"Wait, how did you hear what I just said?"
Adelia was struck by another wave of shock.
What is going on? Did the penalty fail to affect him? If not...
She couldn't understand it.
It was a situation that defied all the common sense she possessed.
Ultimately, Adelia gave up trying to rationalize it.
"..."
Honestly, she wasn't even that surprised anymore.
Perhaps because she had witnessed so many unrealistic feats from him already, she had simply learned to accept whatever happened as the new normal.
Slide.
It was while Adelia was lost in these thoughts.
A new mannequin emerged from the shadows.
Its presence was entirely different from the others. It was far larger, radiating an imposing, heavy pressure.
Instead of a tailcoat, it wore a neatly tailored black military uniform.
A massive sword hung at its waist, and its hands were clad in polished black leather gloves.
What is that...?
Thud, thud.
The uniformed mannequin slowly marched toward Gaon.
One by one, the surrounding mannequins stopped dancing and backed away, as if anticipating what was about to unfold.
The skeleton band's music gradually petered out before stopping entirely.
A heavy, suffocating tension settled over the banquet hall.
Then, the black-uniformed mannequin made its move.
Slap!
It whipped off one of its leather gloves and threw it straight at Gaon's face.
"...?"
Adelia's eyes filled with bewilderment.
There was no one present who didn't understand the meaning of that gesture.
A-A duel...?
Right on cue, the black-uniformed mannequin spoke, its voice mechanical yet carrying an strange majesty.
"I wish to claim your dance partner."
"I shall win that right through an honorable duel."
Flash!
At that exact moment, the lighting in the banquet hall shifted dramatically.
The sensual, blood-red glow transformed into a cold, piercing blue.
The festive ballroom had instantly morphed into a grim arena on the cusp of a duel.
The second phase.
This phase forced the penalized target into a one-on-one duel against a steel golem clad in a black uniform.
According to the system, the golem's level scaled to match the target's.
And as I have established many times before.
I was an irregular who transcended level gaps.
This meant I held an absolute advantage in a battle of equal levels.
Theoretically, it should be an easy, overwhelming victory.
...But I shouldn't be satisfied with merely winning this fight.
I scanned our surroundings.
In the center of the banquet hall, my companions and the other mannequins formed a wide circle around us.
Standing in the middle of this makeshift colosseum, I faced my opponent.
The black-uniformed mannequin's voice pierced through my auditory penalty.
"As the challenged party, you shall choose the terms of this honorable duel."
In the game, two choices usually appeared at this point.
Fight until one dies.
Or fight until one surrenders.
But this opponent desires an honorable duel.
Then the answer I had to choose was obvious.
"We shall fight until one of us yields."
"..."
If I had chosen any other condition, the Host, who valued etiquette above all else, would have designated me as an enemy.
The entire banquet hall of mannequins would have swarmed to kill me, branding me a barbarian who defiled the etiquette of Lasutcu.
Seriously. Talk about unnecessarily detailed options.
It felt a bit cringey to say out loud the options I used to just click in the game.
As I thought this, the black-uniformed mannequin drew its sword.
I pulled the Feather Sword from my Mokgwe.
Though I couldn't hear the familiar ring of the blade, the vibration traveling through my fingertips was exceptionally clear.
I only have about five minutes left.
Throb.
I could feel it instinctively.
If I kept using Super Sensory any longer, I would be in serious danger.
Even now, a burning pain was throbbing in my head.
My consciousness was blurring, and my mind felt like it could snap at any moment. Even the "MAX" mental strength stat couldn't fully withstand the output of this authority.
It was a stark reminder of how far this ability transcended the human domain. It was a power that couldn't even be compared to Ritardando Jin.
Yes.
This wasn't an ability a normal human was meant to wield in the first place. The fact that the system was designed to inflict inevitable pain on the user proved it.
But...
Sword 'MAX' and Sensory 'MAX' are fusing.
Reward: You have acquired the passive skill Super Intuition.
...I have to endure it, if only to test this new ability.
Whoosh!
The opponent unleashed its first strike.
At that exact moment, tens of thousands of data points flooded my mind.
The minute movements of the mannequin's shoulder joints.
The trajectory of the blade cutting through the air.
Even the changes in air pressure and wind currents generated by the swing.
I can see it.
No, it wasn't just seeing.
I could predict it.
Before the opponent even swung its sword, I read the signs of the attack and knew the outcome.
It was like looking a few seconds into the future.
Super Intuition.
A passive skill born from the fusion of Sword Talent "MAX" and Sensory "MAX".
It was an ability I had never obtained once across my 200 playthroughs. This was the first time I had acquired Super Sensory while also maxing out my sword talent.
Of course, I was well aware of the skill's effects.
It was the core skill of "that" Sword Master whom I would encounter soon.
An intuition akin to future sight, allowing one to foresee the opponent's actions seconds in advance.
Honestly, I didn't expect to get this here...
Acquiring Super Sensory was definitely part of the plan.
But I hadn't anticipated that the process would unlock Super Intuition as well.
The unlock conditions for Super Intuition had never been publicized. In fact, I never imagined it could be unlocked through any method other than a "Sacred Covenant."
Just like the Blind Sword Master's Super Sensory, it was always considered a unique ability exclusive to "that" Sword Master.
It's an unplanned harvest, but...
...it couldn't be better.
It was powerful enough to warrant a complete overhaul of my future plans.
I was someone who felt most secure when operating within a meticulously crafted script and calculated steps.
But this moment was different.
Holding the unexpected card of Super Intuition made my existing plans feel like shackles holding me back.
The upcoming trials in the Lasutcu ruins. The battle with the Puppet Master Batu. The numerous events surrounding the Heavenly Dragon Guild auction.
I could rewrite all those scenarios and push forward much more aggressively.
The fact that I, who detested variables, was gladly welcoming a change of plans was proof enough of how much of a game-changer this ability was.
Anyway.
Clang!
That was enough thinking.
Following the future laid out before my eyes, I slightly tilted my wrist holding the Feather Sword.
The moment the mannequin's sword clashed with mine, I was already looking at the next future.
The opponent would tilt to the right due to the recoil. To regain balance, it would shift its weight to its left foot, while simultaneously slashing upward to counterattack.
In that case...
Swish.
I moved my body according to that future.
After completely deflecting the mannequin's sword, I immediately spun.
Even though the opponent hadn't even begun its counterattack, I had already taken a stance to evade it.
The mannequin was visibly shaken.
Of course, it was no pushover.
The moment I slipped out of its line of attack, it immediately changed its decision and tried to adjust its strike.
But...
I had already anticipated that movement too.
Slip.
I shifted my body again.
This time, one step to the left.
The mannequin grew even more flustered.
From then on, it could only flinch.
It would start to swing and stop, try again and hesitate.
It had no choice.
Before it could even launch an attack—no, to be precise, before it could even finish deciding to attack—I had already moved away from the spot.
"How long do you intend to drag out this tedious match?"
"..."
Ultimately, hearing my words, the mannequin chose an "honorable" end.
"...I yield."
Yes. It was time to end this room's trial.
Sheathing the Feather Sword back into the Mokgwe, I spoke in a cold voice.
"You've ruined my mood. I am no longer in the mood to enjoy the banquet."
The atmosphere turned freezing cold in an instant.
At the same time, the Host's voice rang out.
"I-I apologize. It was my oversight for failing to stop the duel in time. I had absolutely no intention of ruining our guest's mood."
The previous excitement was gone, replaced entirely by caution. The Host of the ball offered a sincere apology.
Thud, thud.
Without a word, I walked across the banquet hall toward the exit on the opposite side.
The mannequins blocking the way silently parted.
The skeleton band also looked around nervously, unsure if they should keep playing, before finally setting their instruments down carefully.
Ding!
Lasutcu Imperial Palace: Cleared 'Silent Ball'.
And so, the trial of the first room ended without a hitch.
Drip.
As soon as we stepped into the next corridor, blood began to drip from my nose.
It was the aftermath of using Super Sensory.
"──!"
Adelia rushed over in a panic.
Since three hours hadn't passed, my hearing hadn't returned, but I could guess what she was saying just by looking at her lips.
She always said the same thing in these situations.
"S-Sir Gaon! Are you alright?"
I waved my hand to signal I was fine and wiped the blood with my sleeve.
Still...
A sense of dissonance rushed in as Super Sensory deactivated.
The burning pain in my head was gone, which was a relief, but the world suddenly felt incredibly dull.
Just moments ago, every detail of the world felt so vivid, as if imbued with life. Now, it felt like I was trapped in a blurry, black-and-white photograph.
The intense aftereffects of Super Sensory hadn't fully faded.
"Whew."
I let out a short sigh and shook my head to clear my mind.
In any case.
Super Sensory, and the Super Intuition I gained from it. Everything exceeded my expectations. With this, I should be able to break through the trials ahead.
Above all...
...as long as Strawberry Latte was here, there wouldn't be any major issues.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Deep within the imperial palace, on his throne.
Emperor Tarosque stared down at the crystal ball with a bewildered expression.
"..."
The trials were designed to grow progressively harder.
As penalties accumulated, they would eventually reach their limit.
The moment they passed the burden to the other side, the trial would spiral toward disaster.
Unless they moved as one even under extreme trust or complete lack of communication... it was practically impossible to clear this trial safely.
No matter how skilled an individual was, they couldn't handle it alone.
But...
Tarosque slowly furrowed his brow.
The two groups at the fork in the road were completely cut off from each other.
There wasn't even a trace of them attempting to communicate.
...Then how are they distributing the penalties so perfectly, as if they know everything?
Unable to comprehend it, Emperor Tarosque's confusion only deepened.