The Exam Is Tomorrow

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Burren, who stood there looking dazed.

He gained quite a lot.

Yeah. Looks like he absorbed it well.

No matter how fine an elixir one consumed, absorbing every last bit of the energy within it was impossible. When the energy of nature condensed, impurities inevitably gathered as well—yet Burren seemed to have purged the turbid energy inside himself and taken in only the purest essence. His realm itself hadn't risen dramatically, but his physique had grown, and the volume of his aura had swollen beyond recognition.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

Burren swallowed dryly as he looked at Mark Goetten, who was trembling while clinging to his ankle.

"We trained."

Raon shrugged.

"T-trained? What kind of training wrecks a person like this?!"

He let out a hollow breath, muttering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that the once-stalwart knight now looked like a soaked stray dog.

"I threw throwing knives, and Sir Mark deflected them. Simple training."

"If it was simple training, why is he shaking like a leaf?!"

"Guess he got a little too excited because the training was so much fun."

"Does that even make sense?!"

Burren looked at Mark Goetten with an incredulous expression.

"Hngh!"

Mark Goetten shook his head so violently his eyes disappeared, desperately insisting that was absolutely not the case.

"See? He's overflowing with energy."

Raon curled his lips into a smile at the sight. Mark Goetten coughed as if he'd swallowed wrong and clung even tighter to Burren's leg.

You shameless brat...

Wrath turned toward him with a pale face.

You worked him to the brink of death, and you say he's overflowing with energy?! The conscience lodged in your soul has already been worn down into a perfect circle!

What are you even talking about.

Conscience is originally a triangle, but every time you do something wicked, the corners wear away until it becomes round! Just like yours is now!

A Demon Lord who believes in children's fables...

As if being a glutton weren't enough, this Demon Lord was pulling out moral fairy tales meant to teach children. He was less peculiar than he was downright bizarre.

"Anyway, training isn't over yet. Sir Mark. Come over here."

Raon called to Mark Goetten, spinning a throwing knife between his fingers.

"Give him a rest first. He's going to die at this rate!"

Burren frowned as he patted the terror-stricken Mark Goetten on the back.

"He's had plenty of re—"

Raon was gesturing toward Mark Goetten when he paused, looking toward the Secluded Cultivation Chamber. The energies within were settling. It seemed most of the squad members had finished their cultivation.

Creeeak!

The sound of poorly oiled doors opening came one after another as the Light Wind Squad members emerged one by one.

"Ahhhhh! That feels amazing!"

Marta stretched with a shout that rang through the training ground.

"Haaah..."

Runaan followed after her, blinking as she yawned.

"Did everyone do well?"

Dorian grinned, chewing on a snack he'd pulled from his Belly Pouch.

"The Four Clouds Pill really is the Beast Alliance's signature elixir for a reason."

"No kidding. The aura's one thing, but you can feel your physique changing."

"If the Four Clouds Pill does this much, what happens when you go through a full body reformation?"

"I heard it transforms your body into one compatible with every martial art."

"I feel like I just went through a body reformation myself. I could take anyone right now."

The Light Wind Squad members came out with brighter faces, excited smiles playing on their lips.

Raon spread his Sense of Frost Flowers and surveyed the entire Light Wind Squad.

Every last one of them has changed.

The squad members had concentrated on their cultivation even more intensely than Burren. They looked like completely different people from when they had gone in. Seeing swordsmen who had achieved such genuine growth, a smile rose to his face of its own accord.

"Ahem."

Dokoe came out last, clearing his throat as he approached. A brightness had bloomed across his previously dark complexion. His aura had increased, but more than that, his stamina seemed to have improved beyond recognition.

"It's been a long time since I received an elixir from someone else instead of winning one at gambling. Thank you."

"It was nothing."

Raon smiled and shook his head.

"Compared to everything you've done for us, this is cheap."

Dokoe was already as good as family to the Light Wind Squad. Giving an elixir to family wasn't something he regretted in the slightest.

"You're going to go far."

"Suddenly?"

"Ahem!"

Dokoe cleared his throat, looking embarrassed, and stepped back.

Raon looked toward the last Secluded Cultivation Chamber, which still hadn't opened.

The squad leader's going to take a little longer.

Ever since obtaining his Artificial Dantian, Rimer had been thoroughly purging the turbid energy from within his body, so it seemed he needed more time than the others.

"Huh? What's this zombie? Why'd you leave it alive instead of killing it?!"

Marta frowned at Mark Goetten, who was still clinging to Burren's ankle.

"Zombie? Wait—Sir Mark!"

Dorian's mouth fell open as he hurried over to Mark Goetten.

"W-what happened to you? Did something go wrong?"

"Ah, th-that's..."

"Why does the training ground look like that?"

"Did it get hit by an artillery strike or something?"

The Light Wind Squad members' eyes went wide as they took in Mark Goetten, swaying like a zombie, and the wrecked training ground.

"This is all that Raon bastard's..."

Burren gathered the entire Light Wind Squad and explained everything he knew.

"Hey! You lunatic! Training's fine, but you've got to give him rest time!"

"He's right! Sir Mark is wilted like a dried radish leaf!"

"You're not an actual demon! Show some moderation!"

"None of us are monsters like the vice-leader!"

Marta, Dorian, and the rest of the Light Wind Squad scowled as they shielded Mark Goetten. It seemed they'd grown attached to him after catching him when he fell from the cliff.

"Then do you want to take his place?"

Raon pointed the throwing knife in his hand at the Light Wind Squad members one by one.

"It's very simple training. All you have to do is block this throwing knife."

"Fine! I'll do it!"

"I'm in too!"

"I'll do it as well! If it's for Sir Mark, this much is nothing!"

"It'll be different from last time!"

Burren and Marta clenched their fists. Dorian bit his lip. The rest of the Light Wind Squad roared as if they were all signing up.

The way I feel right now, I could endure anything.

I took the Four Clouds Pill. Training like that is nothing.

I'll show him how much I've changed.

Five days and nights of cultivation had transformed their physiques and elevated both the quantity and quality of their aura. They were certain they could endure even Raon's vicious training now.

"I like the confidence."

Raon nodded as he looked into the Light Wind Squad's burning eyes.

"Follow me."

He told them they were heading to the cliff they'd trained at before, and climbed up onto the training ground wall.

"Hup!"

Mark Goetten waved his hands frantically at the squad members.

"Y-you can't. Right now, Lord Raon is..."

"It's fine. We've gotten stronger too."

"We couldn't last five days like you, Sir Mark, but we can hold out for a day."

"Wait here. We'll go flatten the vice-leader's nose for you."

Flush with confidence after absorbing the Four Clouds Pill, the Light Wind Squad members ignored his warnings and ran toward the training ground wall.

"Uh..."

Mark Goetten clutched his chest as he watched their retreating backs.

No! They absolutely cannot win!

If they had gone from caterpillars to butterflies after taking the elixir, Raon's throwing knife art had gone from a caterpillar to a hornet—and not just any hornet, but a Reckil wasp, the kind that killed a person with a single venomous sting. From the very start, this was a fight they could never win.

"You can't! Lord Raon's throwing knives are..."

He was trying to stop them somehow when Raon turned around, laid a black throwing knife against his own lips, and gestured for him to be quiet.

"Hahk!"

The moment he saw that knife, the memory of being beaten for five straight days surged up, and his stomach lurched. His mouth was open, but no words came out.

Mark Goetten's lips trembled as he watched the Light Wind Squad leave the training ground with confident strides.

"I-I really think they came to the wrong place..."

Raon smiled as he looked at the Light Wind Squad members standing before the cliff.

"The training method is the same as before. If even one of you reaches the top of the cliff, you win. You'll rest from tonight through all of tomorrow."

"You're not going to arbitrarily call off the training again, are you?"

Marta bared her teeth like an angry dog. It seemed she still hadn't gotten over what had happened last time.

"Of course not. I'll keep going until you give up."

Raon nodded calmly.

"If we make it, Sir Mark Goetten rests with us, right?"

Burren had felt sorry for Mark Goetten swaying around like a zombie, so he included the man's well-being in the terms of this training.

"I'll allow that too."

"Good."

"Let's do this!"

"We can win this time!"

The Light Wind Squad members bumped fists lightly, steeling their resolve.

"Then get ready."

Raon gave a casual wave and leapt up the cliff. He reached the summit in an instant, as if a bird had taken flight.

"Wait! He didn't block our au—"

"Shut up."

Just as Burren was about to call out to Raon, Marta smashed him across the shoulder.

"Wh-what was that for?!"

"Raon forgot. There's no reason to tell him."

Marta looked up at Raon with a cold smile.

"That's what that bastard always says. It's the sucker's fault for falling for it. This is our chance to pay him back for everything we've been through."

"She's right! The vice-leader forgot, so it's not cheating!"

Crain's eyes lit up with excitement as he clenched his fists.

"Let's just go like this. If he says anything later, we tell him what Squad Leader One said—it's the forgetful person's fault."

"We'll shoot straight up and tag the summit!"

"I want to see the vice-leader's panicked face."

"See that and tonight's a guaranteed good night's sleep."

The Light Wind Squad members' mouths curled up of their own accord at the thought of getting one over on Raon.

"All right."

Burren nodded as he looked at everyone.

"Let's go!"

At his shout, the Light Wind Squad members began climbing the cliff all at once. They didn't use footwork techniques, but they channeled their aura and scaled the rock face at a terrifying speed.

"At this rate we'll be done in no ti— Gahk!"

Crain, who had been climbing right behind Burren, took something to the forehead and his body listed to the side.

"Gaaaaaaaaah!"

He screamed like a pig being slaughtered and plummeted toward the ground.

"Crain?"

"Wh-what? What just happened?!"

"I think the vice-leader threw a knife!"

"Okay, but why is it him first again?!"

The Light Wind Squad members swallowed dryly as they watched Crain crash below.

"Khuhk!"

Burren slowed down, climbing the cliff on edge, when the squad member right beside him took a throwing knife to the side and went down.

Thwack! Crack!

Harsh impacts rang out, and the Light Wind Squad members scattered above and below on the cliff face dropped like chestnuts shaken from a tree.

"Aaaaagh!"

"What the hell is that?!"

"I couldn't even see it!"

"Aaaagh!"

Every time they were shot down by throwing knives they couldn't even see, the squad members screamed and sank toward the black earth below.

"Hey."

Marta pulled up alongside Burren, her face twisted like a demon's.

"Did you see it?"

"I-I didn't get a proper look."

Burren shook his head. Something had simply flickered, and the person beside him was gone. It was terror itself.

"Focus and look up. The throwing knives appear out of the dark. You can't let your guard down for a second."

Listening to her, he drew up his aura with everything he had and spread his senses.

Fweeeet!

A sound as faint as a trembling thread, and a throwing knife appeared and smashed into the cheekbone of Dorian, who had been hanging back on the right, watching for his chance.

"Quaaack!"

Dorian let out a squawk like a duck being squeezed and tumbled off the cliff.

"Raon, you demon— Kyaaah!"

He took another throwing knife on the way down, passed out, and went limp.

"Kh..."

Burren's lips trembled as he watched Dorian drop, swaying.

What is this.

What kind of throwing knife art was this?!

Raon's throwing knives didn't just appear in secret—they were as fast as a flash of light. Even if they hadn't been clinging to a cliff, it didn't seem like they could have dodged them.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

Crisp impacts burst out in succession, and before long the entire Light Wind Squad had fallen. The only ones left were Burren and Marta, frozen halfway up the cliff.

"We only need one person to make it up."

Marta bit her lip and looked upward.

"I'll be the shield. Use your footwork and climb while I draw them."

"But..."

"You wouldn't last long anyway."

Declaring that she would block the throwing knives herself, she charged up the cliff first.

"Marta..."

"Shut up and get up here."

"A-all right!"

Thinking that Marta had changed a great deal, Burren stuck close behind her.

Slash!

Just as they had nearly reached the summit, Marta's stride halted.

"Get clear!"

Hearing her shout, Burren threw himself to the right.

BOOOOM!

Marta poured every ounce of her Titan Aura into her fist and smashed Raon's throwing knife. But her reaction was a fraction too late—the knife drove her back, and she was knocked off the cliff.

"You idiot! Climb!"

She vanished into the darkness, screaming at him to go.

"Damn it!"

Burren didn't look at the falling Marta. He poured everything into his footwork.

In the instant he was about to reach the summit, a throwing knife dyed a vivid crimson came screaming down at his head.

"I was waiting for this!"

He had seen what happened to Marta, so he had kept his tension wound tight the entire time. He clenched his teeth and formed a knife-hand. Treating the edge of his palm as a blade, he unleashed the secret art of the Frostwind Sword with everything he had.

The physique and aura that had grown from the Four Clouds Pill rose in a harmonious current and erupted into a mighty sword strike.

BOOOOOOM!

The Frostwind Sword unleashed through his knife-hand collided head-on with Raon's throwing knife.

"With this— huh?"

Unlike Marta, he had reacted properly—and still his hand was being driven back. The throwing knife Raon had loosed carried a monstrous force beyond anything he could have imagined. The secret art he had poured everything into crumbled like a dry leaf, and the knife's edge came rushing toward his eyes.

CRAAACK!

Struck in the forehead by the throwing knife, Burren began to fall from a point where he could have touched the edge of the cliff if he had just stretched out his arm.

Marta wasn't late...

The power packed into that throwing knife had been completely insane!

"Goddammi—"

Just as Burren spat the curse, Raon's face popped over the summit. He smiled brightly and waved.

"You damn ba—"

"Grrrk!"

Burren lost consciousness not from the pain but from his rage at Raon, his neck going slack.

"Runaan didn't climb, so I guess that's everyone."

After knocking down the entire Light Wind Squad, Raon descended the cliff.

"Th-that filthy well hurts..."

"What kind of trick is he using that you can't even see the throwing knives?"

"That's not even the problem. Even if you see them, they're too fast to block."

"And even if you block them, you get overpowered. What kind of throwing knife ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠art is that?"

The Light Wind Squad let out deep sighs, looking thoroughly sick of Raon's flawless throwing knives.

Raon passed through them and approached Runaan, who had been the only one not to climb the cliff.

"Why didn't you go up?"

"You didn't block our aura."

Runaan tilted her head as if to ask why he was posing such an obvious question.

Khhh!

Wrath let out a sound of admiration as he looked at Runaan.

As expected of the ice cream girl! A reply worthy of This King's subordinate! She's cut from a different cloth than a sly weasel like you!

She's got a point.

Raon let out a short laugh and nodded.

"Good. Honest people deserve a reward. Runaan rests. The rest of you, start climbing the cliff again!"

"Aaaaagh!"

"Oh, damn it!"

"We should have waited!"

The squad members clawed at the ground and howled, apparently regretting that they had just gone up.

As Raon was about to climb the cliff again, Crain approached and bent at the waist.

"V-Vice-leader. You didn't block our aura."

Crain rubbed the forehead that had swollen into a lump from the throwing knife and offered a groveling smile.

"Yeah."

With a face that said, And what of it?, Raon went back up the cliff.

"Khnnn..."

Crain shook his fist and shouted up at Raon.

"You demon! This is discrimination! And stop hitting me fir— Gahk!"

He was cut off mid-scream as a throwing knife smashed into his forehead and he went down.

In that instant, the same thought rose in everyone's head.

We should have stayed in the Secluded Cultivation Chamber longer...

Noon the next day.

Raon returned to the Fifth Training Ground with the Light Wind Squad members, who had done nothing but fall without ever succeeding at the cliff-climbing training. Their faces were ashen, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like dogs who had tucked their tails after a loss.

"A-are you all right?"

Mark Goetten, who had been holding the training ground alone, trembled as he looked at the Light Wind Squad members, bruised from head to toe.

"Sir Mark."

Raon gripped Mark Goetten's shoulder firmly.

"Unfortunately, the Light Wind Squad lost. I'm afraid you'll have to train with us again."

"Hahk..."

At the gentle gesture, Mark Goetten's jaw chattered as he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dropped to his knees. He looked like a man being dragged off by a ghost.

"Come on, I'm not going to eat you."

Raon gave Mark Goetten a bright smile and climbed onto the platform.

"Khnnn..."

"Goddamn it..."

"Damn it!"

The Light Wind Squad members lined up in front of the platform hunched their shoulders, the confidence that had pierced the heavens melted away to nothing.

"As we all promised, it's all-night training through today. My goal is to turn the Light Wind Squad into the Light Wind Division by the end of this year, so we need to give it everything we've got to prepa—"

Just as Raon was laying out the new objective, the door of the last Secluded Cultivation Chamber, which had remained shut until now, burst open with a crash.

BOOOOM!

Rimer walked out through the shuddering door. A thin wind seemed to unfurl from his unbound red hair, and it looked as if sparks were flying from it.

"I've already applied for the promotion to Light Wind Division."

Rimer grinned and pointed at himself with his thumb.

"Is that true?"

"Huh!"

"What's gotten into that lazy squad leader?"

Everyone's mouths fell open in shock that Rimer had prepared first.

"When's the exam?"

"We have to take it twice. The first one is coming up soon."

He narrowed his eyes as if recalling the date.

"How long have I been in the cultivation chamber?"

"Six days have passed."

"Six days?"

Rimer ticked his fingers, then lifted his head. A refreshing smile spread across his mouth.

The gazes fixed on Rimer went slack, as if everyone's souls had left their bodies.

That elf bastard. Again?