Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Overcoming the Hall of Trials
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Thwack!
A fist shot forward in a short, concise motion, closing the distance and slamming into his gut.
"Puheok!"
Ralph's massive frame folded at the waist as if it weighed nothing, despite its size.
A fist hard as a lump of iron.
No, calling it a fist like a lump of iron wasn't quite accurate.
It wasn't like a lump of iron.
The dark, spherical mass attached where a human fist should be was literally a lump of iron.
And the owner of that fist wasn't human—it was a training dummy.
Just not the ordinary kind that stood still for practicing forms.
"Damn it, you cursed doll!"
Groooowl!
Ralph wasn't taking it lying down.
Ignoring the pain surging from his abdomen, he swung his halberd upward in a diagonal slash.
Whoooosh!
A ferocious strike that tore through the air with overwhelming pressure.
It was brutal enough to make one's legs buckle, powered by strength surpassing most warriors.
But the opponent facing Ralph simply twisted sideways, effortlessly dodging as if mocking the attack.
As if such a sluggish swing couldn't catch so much as a fly.
Whirrrrl!
It didn't stop at dodging.
Spinning like a top in mid-air, it leaped and brought down its blow on Ralph's shoulder as he gripped his halberd.
Kwajik!
"Urgh!"
A shock that nearly crushed his shoulder.
The pain reverberating through his entire arm made it feel like he'd drop the halberd any second, but letting himself get pushed into a defensive corner would just mean getting beaten like a dog again.
Whoooong!
Instead of defending, he swung the halberd in a wide, threatening arc to force distance from his foe.
His choice proved right—the dummy didn't press the attack and backed off, creating space.
It moved more human than human, like a seasoned boxer.
...Damn. This dummy's a bad matchup for me.
The nimble, boxer-like dummy was tough for Ralph to handle with his halberd.
Ralph's strength lay in wielding his halberd with divine power to unleash devastating momentum against hordes of enemies.
In other words, that advantage flipped to a disadvantage in one-on-one fights.
The dummy's form was the exact type Ralph struggled most against—perfect for battlefields where he swept through masses like a storm.
For the same reason, he'd struggled a bit against Sylvia when he first joined the Latent Dragon Squad.
Ian had intervened to stop that fight back then, but this was the Hall of Trials.
No one here to mediate.
Only one way to end this: overcome his weakness, defeat the dummy, and push forward.
Ralph sensed it deep down.
If he couldn't surpass this dummy, the Hall of Trials would never open a path for him.
He'd end up lying cold on this floor.
"...Ptui!"
Not taking his eyes off the dummy, Ralph spat out the mouthful of blood.
Splat!
Grinding his teeth at the sound of the coagulated clump hitting the ground.
Finally, he'd found a punching bag that might actually communicate a bit.
Finally, he'd found a space where he could bond a little.
But dying like a dog in a dump like this? No way.
"Damn captain, just you wait. Once I get out of here... I'll sock you one for sure!!"
Even battered and bloody, his body in tatters like rags, Ralph hadn't lost his fighting spirit.
Groooowl!
Carving furrows with his heels, Ralph charged at the dummy again, halberd swinging.
This wasn't just Ralph.
Ryu An, Sylvia, Helena, Dane.
Different situations and trials, but all facing the same struggles.
For the Latent Dragon Squad, their ordeals were only just beginning.
Tat tat tat tat tat!
While the other Latent Dragon Squad members grappled with their trials, Ian was facing a considerable ordeal of his own.
Though in a very different atmosphere.
Ian dashed forward, having overcome the poison of the Ten Defeats.
Even burdened with heavy iron orbs, circulating Blood Demon True Qi made his body incredibly swift.
Grrrrumble!
The Hall of Trials responded to welcome him.
With a roar, it reshaped the terrain.
No, it wasn't just changing the environment.
Kwaaaang!
The transformed Hall attacked Ian.
A rectangular pillar jutted from the wall, aiming for his life.
"!"
Kuuuung!
Ian dodged the pillar's path, and it embedded itself into the opposite wall.
"...What the?"
The savage strike that pulverized the wall drew cold sweat instinctively.
But that was just the beginning.
Pillars burst unpredictably from front, back, left, right, ceiling, and floor, each smashing into the opposite wall and laying waste to the surroundings.
One solid hit, and Ian's current body wouldn't even leave bones.
Ian knew well the monsters that wielded such power.
The forest kings: ogres.
"Interesting. This Hall of Trials is the real deal."
Even under the fierce assault, Ian's eyes sparkled.
His guess: the Hall had finished assessing him.
It read his memory of collapsing to poison and presented that first.
Then, since he'd used technique to defeat the orc chieftain Urk.
It judged showing ogre combat style—raw power crushing technique—would make a solid trial.
The Hall's judgment wasn't far off.
No matter his past life knowledge as the Hegemon, his weak flesh held him back now.
Trials targeting mind or technique wouldn't challenge him.
So it gave him a physical trial for his deficient body.
A deadly gauntlet where one hit would shatter him.
And that wasn't all.
Ian was wrapped in iron orbs all over.
Weights burdensome even for normal movement, plus life-threatening attacks.
Any ordinary person would've knelt before the Hall by now.
But.
Kwarrr rumble!
A rough-surfaced pillar grazed Ian's cheek as it shot up.
Glimpsed in dodging it, Ian's expression held not fear or despair, but ecstasy.
An extreme situation pushing limits to the brink.
Ian knew.
Hard to overcome, but success brought massive gains.
How strong would he become escaping this hell?
That thrill erased the orbs' weight and fatigue.
Muscles screamed as if tearing, nerves taut with crashing exhaustion.
Yet he didn't give up.
Wuuuung!
Circulating Blood Demon True Qi to breathe vitality back into his weary flesh.
Once recovered, he halted the circulation.
Overcoming trials with aura defeats the purpose.
With Twin-Headed Blood Serpent and Blood Demon True Qi, smashing pillars was trivial.
But that negated entering the Hall.
This trial honed the body alone.
So aura only for recovery.
A week into the Hall, with just three weeks total.
That's why the Crimson Death Squad mocked them.
Three weeks of risky training—how much stronger could they get?
But the same time yields sky-and-earth results depending on use.
Ian faced the Hall's trials nonstop, save recovery, eating, sleeping.
His body gained muscle at an uncanny speed.
As his flesh grew, so did his power rapidly.
Fully immersed, he'd forgotten worrying for his squad and rushing through.
Kwaaaaang!
"......"
Hall of Trials, before the portal.
Five shadows stretched long in the setting sun.
Their owners glared murderously at the portal.
The sun, high earlier, now dipped lazily, yet they stood motionless, eyes fixed.
How much more time passed?
A change stirred in the still Hall.
Wuuuung!
With a faint vibration, the narrow portal expanded enough for several people.
Step, step!
Leisurely footsteps echoed from within.
The man emerging casually drew killing glares from the five shadows.
"Oh? You all came out early? Or should I say, glad you're safe?"
"Early? Eaaarly?!"
Ralph, ragged and leading, growled at Ian like he wanted to kill him.
"Hey, you reckless bastard! Duel's tomorrow, sunset on the eve, and you crawl out saying what? Early!!"
Ian let Ralph's yell slide off one ear, slowly scanning the five with a blatant stare.
Then nodded, satisfied.
"Good. You all worked hard."
Just three short weeks, but they'd all brushed death, their auras transformed.
Even Ralph barking at him up close was different.
Skin pores visible on his ugly mug from the intimate range.
Past Ian would've been wide open, but now Ralph tilted his halberd, poised for counter if ambushed.
Intentional or instinct, who knew.
"Captain, it was hell... but we gained a lot, so skip that. But what's the plan?"
Clang!
The iron orb, half-broken from brutal fights, rolled on the floor.
Ryu An dropped it and asked Ian.
"Even if we got stronger enduring the Hall, duel day's tomorrow. No recovery time—do we really have a shot?"
Ryu An's concern wasn't unfounded.
No matter the power, without stamina, half couldn't be used.
Ian knew that best.
Past poison-weakened fight led to defeat.
"No need to worry."
Ian wasn't dumb enough to repeat mistakes.
Gazing at an empty corner of the Hall, alone save the squad, he murmured.
"Hans, you there?"
Swoosh!
At his call, Hans emerged ghost-like from the shadows where no one was.
"You called, young master?"
"How's the item I requested?"
"Prepared, of course."
The two conversed casually.
"......!!"
The squad's eyes bulged—they hadn't sensed Hans at all.
When did he...?
Impossible. No presence whatsoever.
They thought they'd grown passing the Hall, yet missed Hans entirely.
Somber mood or not, Hans did his job.
Thud!
He set a small wooden box before Ian.
"Thanks. Quality?"
"Drink and sleep tonight, and I guarantee: by dawn, all fatigue gone."
"Grade?"
"Top-grade, naturally."
"Good work."
Ian, pleased with Hans's calm reply, opened the lid.
Clunk!
Six vials of shimmering liquid appeared.
Ian tossed one to each squad member.
"What's this?"
They caught the tossed vials reflexively.
Sylvia asked for the group; Ian grinned.
"Potions. Top-grade, as Hans said. You'll be fine by tomorrow, so drink up and rest well. Good job."
"Captain...!!"
The squad's faces lit with emotion.
Yeah, ruthless guy stuffing us with iron for the Hall.
But backs us up thoughtfully!
"Thanks, Captain. Top-grade potions aren't cheap, and you did this for us..."
Dane's voice trembled, emotion lingering.
Ian cut in, sensing the burden, revealing truth.
"Ah, paid from Red Fang Orc Tribe loot."
"......"
"......"
"We'll split evenly, got it."
The incoming tide of feeling ebbed out, leaving cold stares.
"...Stingy."
Helena's grumble spoke for the squad.