The Cave's Two-Week Trial
Raon narrowed his eyes and lowered his stance. It was the same posture as the wolf's leap he had seen earlier. The posture was the same, but the momentum felt different.
"But I'm not your opponent!"
As he declared, he spat out the words and drew his sword. The shaking blade extended into six. The aura-embedded illusion and real blade. Despite his surprise, the sword had no room for even a moment's gap.
Goooo!
Raon resonated the Ring of Fire. In the slowing vision, the change in the blade reduced to three. The targets were the neck, left chest, and side.
Where are you aiming?
Not where, but all of them.
The cold blade that erased two illusions was aiming at three places at once.
Hwaaaaa!
After pointing the sword tip at the ground, he drew it in the air like a brush. The flames wrapped around the blade drew a semicircle and erased Horaine's three sword strikes.
"Hmph!"
Horaine turned in the air as if he had expected it and unfolded his second sword technique. The sword strike falling like a meteor was as ruthless as the determination on his face.
Chiiing!
The sword strike slid through the air like a living thing and came for his heart and head. If it hit properly, it would be so powerful that he wouldn't be able to get up until the end of the training period, so he threw his body toward it.
'This is real.'
Horaine's aura was cold, and his swordsmanship was flashy illusion. As he retreated, his space widened, so now was the time to advance.
Jjejeong!
He unleashed the Mad Fang Sword's aura strike toward the two snake-like intertwined sword strikes.
Peeoeong!
The sword strikes that collided at close range exploded roughly. The earth-shaking noise and rough shockwave made the examiners clinging to the sparring ground fly backward.
Raon and Horaine used the shockwave as an opportunity to retreat and gather themselves.
"You say you're 17? I don't believe it. Your swordsmanship isn't even lacking!"
Horaine shook his head in disbelief.
"But I can't lose. I'll come again!"
He approached smoothly like skating on ice and drew his sword horizontally. The straight blade became multiple ice needles aiming at the vital points of the whole body. The ever-changing sword strike spread widely like waves of the sea and increased in number.
Raon used Glacia to open the sea of senses. The undulating waves. In that flow, only one blade moved.
"Hup!"
As the senses said, he drew the sword. The sharp teeth of the Mad Fang's aura blade shot up like lightning.
Jjejeong!
A sound like bones cracking rang out, and Horaine, who had been playing in the air, was roughly pushed back and put his hand on the ground.
"Eh, how...?"
"I have a good feeling."
"Feeling? How can this be a feeling? I can't believe it!"
Horaine glared and rolled his feet. The cold aura he had been using at full power gradually swelled. Silver frost began to spread around him.
He wrapped his whole body in that powerful aura and stamped the ground. The aura threads unraveled like yarn and over ten ever-changing blades wrapped around the space.
'I have already predicted it.'
Raon's eyes sank deep. The observation of illusion and real blade Horaine showed was over. The swordsmanship shown now was more complex, but in the end, the root was the same.
Uuuuuung!
He swung the howling sword in an X shape from his hand and advanced forward. The flame blade that bent as if cutting space burned all of Horaine's sword strikes to ashes.
"Impossible..."
Horaine's hand holding the sword trembled.
"You were practicing illusion too!"
He hadn't thought that he would follow Horaine's swordsmanship in this place, and he had mistaken it for practicing illusion.
"You're not at the level to be tied with the word 'genius'."
Horaine swallowed dryly as if facing a monster rather than a human.
"Beating up this kind of guy for just a gold coin doesn't match the ledger. But if I started, I have to go, man!"
His figure blurred. Right. In the blink of an eye, he dove to the right and thrust the sword. From the blade holding the blue light, aura threads poured like rain.
'This is a chance.'
A chance to raise the achievement of illusion and real blade.
The swordsmanship of Ten Thousand Flames often draws petal shapes. Using the illusion and real blade learned while facing Horaine, it seemed he could unfold those sword techniques more perfectly.
"You're still far!"
The countless changing blades Horaine poured out with shining eyes came relentlessly for the vital points. The aura threads that had been tightening like a cage suddenly gathered into one point and aimed for the heart.
'This kind of change...'
If it's change, I only thought of spreading widely, I didn't expect gathering into one point. This too was something to study.
Hwaaaaa!
Raon engraved his swordsmanship into his eyes with the Ring of Fire and unfolded the Revolving Heaven of Ten Thousand Flames. The flame sawteeth that tore through space advanced and collided with the condensed aura.
Kwaaaaaang!
The cold and heat intertwined and exploded in a powerful explosion, the ground flipped, and the training ground began to shake.
Kwaaaaa!
Horaine dove into the storm of that aura and struck with a powerful strike. It wasn't a simple powerful strike. What poured out were sword strikes like lightning bolts. It was an upward sword technique filled with terrifying illusion and change.
It wasn't at the level to follow with change yet. Raon corrected his grip and drew from the ground up. The majestic sword strike that seemed to bisect the world surged and shattered Horaine's sword strike.
"Keuk!"
Horaine was shocked, blood flowed from his mouth, but he didn't back down. Rather, he ran forward and swung his sword.
Kwang!
Raon also stepped with the true step to not be outdone and exploded the Mad Fang Sword.
Thud! Kwaaang!
The shockwave and noise different from fighting without aura spread throughout the training ground, and the fighting spirit of the two broke the earth.
Raon and Horaine exchanged countless sword strikes in the center of the collapsed training ground. Cold and heat arose in each's hand, but no one retreated.
"Huff..."
"Haa..."
Both had their skin and clothes torn, but they smiled faintly.
"Since it's gone to the point where strength is drained, I guess I have to end it."
Horaine raised his sword to the top. After taking a posture that seemed to pierce the sky, he gathered all the remaining aura. His sword trembled like a tuning fork and spewed massive qi.
"Very good."
Raon drew his sword back and extended his left hand forward. It wasn't the Dragon Flame Spear that Milland had made him draw aura from. It was not the strongest sword technique he could use now to go further, but he drew something else.
Chiaaang!
Silver light burst from Horaine's sword. The aura of cold that had been entangled in the blade spread like mist and became nine huge whips. Each thread carried the terrifying power to break swords and crush flesh and bones.
Kugugug!
Raon exploded the compressed flames toward the nine sword strikes falling like lightning. The flame petals dancing on the blade blossomed as if spring had come.
Ten Thousand Flames.
Flower Spirit.
A new color was added to Raon's swordsmanship stacked so far. The petals that had only spread faintly began to burn as if reflected in a mirror.
Kwaaaaa!
The petal storm burned the aura whip threads and went toward the enemy.
The flame petals that ate the cold aura and amplified it covered the air in an instant and split Horaine's sword.
Hwaaaaa!
Late spring. The world was dyed with flame petals as if under a cherry blossom tree.
"Ah..."
Horaine stared at the withering flame petals in a daze and knelt.
"I... lost."
He laughed and accepted defeat and fell as is.
"...Thank you for your hard work."
Raon bowed his head to the fallen Horaine. He was a bit arrogant, but he had that level of skill, fought fairly, and accepted defeat. Even in the Heavy Martial Division, he was a man worth acknowledging.
"Hm?"
Feeling a slight pain, he looked at his left hand. Due to Horaine's cold, frost had formed on his left hand. Thanks to the water attribute resistance, there was no great pain, but it was amazing just that it was frozen.
'Hm, but if I use this well...'
Raon stopped melting the frost on his hand with Ten Thousand Flames. It seemed there was a way to use it, so he turned his back and hurriedly melted it with flames. The slight groans as if it hurt in the middle was a bonus.
"Eh..."
"Is this a dream?"
"With this strength?"
After wiping his melted hand and looking up, the examiners pushed back by the aura storm were looking at him with half-crazed eyes.
"Hor, Horaine lost? How is that possible?"
Training instructor Leff's face was pale and he trembled.
On the other hand, Urek was staring at his left hand and narrowing his eyes.
Seeing that reaction, he knew the intention had been properly eaten.
Raon smiled and turned his wrist when the message came up.
Defeated the opponent of the middle rank.
Through the opponent's martial arts, you have grown.
You have defeated the strongest opponent so far.
All abilities increase by 3 points.
-Huh?
Wrath opened his mouth wide at the content. His eyes were in amazement at the fact that all abilities increased by 3 points without a bet.
-Catching just an Expert Peak-Class and abilities increase! Is this even possible!
'I defeated the strongest opponent so far.'
I have met many stronger opponents than Horaine, but among the ones I defeated, he was the strongest.
-Damn! It's really a damn system!
Wrath cursed that the system he made didn't know its place and kicked the message.
'That's why I don't need to hide my strength.'
The Heavy Martial Division thought they had figured out their own strength, but that was until now. Tomorrow, he would have grown another step.
Raon smiled and tapped the sword sheath.
"Anything else?"
***
Burren watched Raon's sparring that happened today from start to finish without missing a single moment and drew a conclusion.
'That guy is really a monster.'
When he first saw the returning Raon, he thought the momentum was fainter and stronger, but he hadn't imagined that he would defeat Horaine, one of the vice commanders of the Battle Thunder Squad.
'What has he been doing?'
He also thought he had grown more than anyone else through countless hardships in the Lewin Desert, but it was a mistake. Again, the one who rose the highest was Raon.
However, there was no feeling of jealousy or envy.
'Because I know what kind of guy that guy is.'
Raon was not a guy who became strong by luck or elixir. He was a typical hardworking human who grew by repeating training without rest from morning to night.
This time, after returning, he saw him coming to the training ground from dawn the next day and was convinced. Raon Zieghart was a guy with the qualification to become strong.
'Now that I think about it, the last sword technique, I've seen it somewhere before...'
The sword technique that blew like petals when Raon defeated Horaine at the end, he had seen it before. Even then, he thought it was beautiful and strong, but today it was more dangerous and more beautiful.
'He developed that sword technique himself...'
He really doesn't know when to stop.
'But he doesn't give up.'
Raon is Raon. Burren is Burren. If he walks his own path without worrying about others, he will catch up someday, so he made a vow to the second benefactor in the Lewin Desert that he would live without being ashamed of himself.
"It was amazing!"
Burren sent the only sincere applause toward Raon looking at him.
***
The night was creeping into the Heavy Martial Division chief administrator's office. The flower vases that had been blooming with fresh vitality from the window frames also gave their bodies to the darkness and lowered their leaves.
"Huff..."
The chief administrator Urek stood blankly and brushed the flower petals stuck in the flower vase with the back of his hand.
"Chief."
Training instructor Leff sighed and frowned behind him.
"What should we do now? I didn't think that the guy Raon would defeat Horaine too..."
Leff muttered that he didn't know what to do now and sighed.
"There's no need to do anything now."
Urek turned around and shrugged his shoulders.
"Eh?"
"The fact that Raon's strength is at monster level and that he is strong enough to defeat Horaine if he uses aura is known, right? Since we know he's an Expert Peak-Class, the information instructed by the division chief is sufficient. And..."
His pupils flickered like night shadows.
"We have also revealed his weakness."
"By saying the hand that froze from Horaine's cold, are you talking about?"
"Yeah. He tried to hide it, but at the end, his hand froze, and the guy turned his back to hide his expression. The curse of cold that he's had since childhood seems not to have disappeared yet."
Urek stroked the flower vase on the desk and curled his mouth up.
'I have obtained all the information.'
Since I figured out Raon's strength, advantages, and weaknesses in just one day, Karun will acknowledge it too.
"Now, what about the training? I can't spar with that guy..."
"I know you were told by the division chief not to do anything that would help him."
"Of course. Completely breaking the body training..."
"Dumbass! When people's eyes are gathered, what do you think we'll think if you do such things!"
Urek recited the criticism he heard from Karun and frowned.
"S-sorry!"
"From the past, there's training that comes down to the Heavy Martial Division, but instead of helping, it only lowers strength and is boring."
"Ah! I remember the words of the cave wall!"
Leff clapped his hands as if he remembered.
"Indeed, it's a training that has come down from the old days, so no one can say anything. It's really amazing that you thought of that!"
"Lock him in the cave for about 2 weeks."
Urek let out a low laugh and raised two fingers.
"So that arrogant guy wastes time."
***
A week had passed since Raon started training.
The first day had many things, but from the second day, it passed smoothly without any incidents.
Not only the examiners belonging to the Heavy Martial Division, but also the instructors and chief administrators didn't touch him unless necessary, so he could train freely. Of course, when breaking the equipment, they yelled at him to stop, but.
He said the price of the things he broke here was close to 6000 gold coins, so it seemed he had broken more items than twice the original amount. It was somewhat gratifying.
When Raon was thinking what to break today to make a good sound, the training instructor called him with Burren.
"From today, we'll proceed with special training."
Training instructor Leff raised his chin with a more solemn expression than usual.
"Special training?"
"It's a training that comes down as a tradition in the Heavy Martial Division. Follow me with this bag."
He gave them a cloth bag the size of a human head and left the training ground and entered the inside of the Heavy Martial Division.
His steps that had been walking for a long time stopped beyond the Heavy Martial Division on the Bukmang Mountain behind it. The mountain area was surrounded by high walls, and in the center, ten caves were drilled.
"Cave?"
"Yeah."
Leff nodded as he turned around.
"This is the cave where the first chief administrator achieved enlightenment by contemplating. He didn't sleep for 4 weeks and repeated thoughts and thoughts."
He talked about how the first chief administrator helped the first patriarch and achieved many achievements.
"Anyway, this contemplation is an event that every warrior in the Heavy Martial Division must pass, so be proud of it."
He pointed at the cave with his finger and continued.
"The time you have to endure in this cave is 2 weeks. If you reduce sleep as much as possible and sharpen your mind, you can grow greatly."
"We are not yet warriors of the Heavy Martial Division, but trainees. It's not contemplation but more experience..."
Burren tilted his head and raised his hand.
"You said last week. Here, everyone is the same Heavy Martial Division warrior. It's an important opportunity that will help you, so prepare to enter."
"Huu, understood."
Burren, realizing that words weren't getting through, let out a low sigh and looked at Raon.
"For now, it's not false. It's also true that it's the place where the first chief administrator trained, and it's true that he achieved enlightenment, and it's true that warriors enter."
Burren frowned and looked around the cave.
"However, there are almost no cases of doing it for 2 weeks. This training has little utility. Even if it's long, 10 days, seeing it as 2 weeks, it seems you made him look bad."
"It's fine."
Raon smiled faintly at the cave.
"You, you say it's fine?"
Burren opened his eyes wide as if he hadn't expected such words.
"It will be fun."
Because he was waiting for this.
For others, it was just a hardship, but for himself with the Ring of Fire and System, it was the best opportunity to raise abilities with difficult and hard work.
Moreover, he might obtain something left by the first chief administrator. It was much better to enter here than to do meaningless destruction in the training ground.
"Hmph! Water is inside. The thing in this bag is bread, so eat one a day."
"Understood."
"Then enter."
Received <Wrath's Interference>
Agility ability increased by 1 point.
-What?
Raon nodded his head and tried to enter the first cave when Wrath, who had been quietly like sleeping, popped up like a sprout.
-One bread a day? How are you supposed to survive eating that!
'It's a hardship, that's why I have to get stronger.'
-Shut up! Why should the King who has already transcended existence do hardship!
Wrath waved his hand made of cold wildly saying it was nonsense.
-There's a proverb that says a monster that ate and died well tastes good! How are you supposed to survive with just one bread a day! You won't even be able to feel the taste!
'Sorry, but this bread fills the stomach but it's tasteless Nadin bread. It tastes like chewing rubber.'
Raon scratched his cheek. This bread was the bread he ate the most in his assassin days. He often used it because one was enough to fill the stomach.
-J, jiral.
It was easy and liked, but for Wrath, who values taste, it seemed the worst food. The guy's head boiled like a volcano before explosion.
-Survive with tasteless bread for 2 weeks! Is that even possible! Fart?
After the anger and cold from Wrath burst out and wrapped Raon, it spread throughout the cave.
-I'd rather kill you here! I'll take your body and jump out right away...
-Eek!
'Eh? Ability increased.'
Raon laughed at the message. Since the experience points in the ability were almost full, when he received Wrath's cold and anger, the ability increased.
'Good start.'
Raon whistled and entered the deep cave.
'Smell of prey in the cave.'
-Really jiral life. No, it's a life!
Wrath was the same as usual here too.
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