Chapter 275
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: The Victor
Cheol-ryeong barreled after Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20 like a raging wild boar.
Right on his tail was Hwa Bo-myeong.
Squad 20 spotted Squad 1 chasing them and split into two groups.
Cheol-ryeong and Hwa Bo-myeong veered left and right in pursuit.
By the time Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon arrived, they were in a bind.
They could only confirm that the enemy had scattered in both directions—they had no idea who went where.
"What do we do?"
Tak Mu-jeon asked.
"Splitting up plays right into their hands."
Tak Mu-jeon made the call easily at Byeok I-gyeom's words.
The two stuck together and chose the right path to give chase.
But tracking them wasn't easy.
The enemy kept splitting up, trying to scatter them.
Again, traces led off in both directions.
The pair couldn't even tell where their own squadmates had gone.
In the end, they picked one path and stuck together.
Having scattered Squad 1 to the winds, Squad 20 regrouped.
And they converged where Cheol-ryeong was frantically pursuing them.
Well, his momentum had fizzled out by now—he was huffing and puffing as he hacked through the underbrush.
It was only natural.
No one who'd been stumbling through the mountains all night could have any stamina left.
Not even with internal energy to draw on.
Five members of Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20 stepped out before him.
"You damn bastards... cowards..."
No one flinched at his words.
The fool was the one caught in the trap.
If he'd endured the hunger, conserved his strength through the night instead of scavenging for scraps of meat, he wouldn't be in this mess.
"You're the idiot here."
It was Na Jung-cheon.
From the same Iron Equipment Hall as Cheol-ryeong.
Half a year ago, this would've been unthinkable.
Na Jung-cheon, a mere laborer from Iron Equipment Hall, calling Cheol-ryeong—the pavilion lord's nephew—an idiot?
Back home, he'd have been beaten half to death on the spot.
But not anymore.
They were equals now: students of Dragon Training Pavilion, competing in the Summer Combat Festival.
"You lowly scum, you dare forget your place. Gnash."
Cheol-ryeong ground his teeth, his body trembling with rage.
Na Jung-cheon stepped forward.
The other cadets held their ground.
Cheol-ryeong's face twisted in disbelief.
Was this punk seriously challenging him to a one-on-one?
Ridiculous.
Ignoring Cheol-ryeong's reaction, Na Jung-cheon assumed the starting stance of Graceful Dragon Swordsmanship.
He charged straight at Cheol-ryeong.
Clang!
Cheol-ryeong's sword blocked Na Jung-cheon's blade.
Iron Equipment Hall's signature technique was the Iron Equipment Heavenly Formation Eight Strike Spear method.
But their swordsmanship was no slouch either.
Iron Wave Mountain-Cleaving Sword.
Cheol-ryeong countered Na Jung-cheon's sword with Iron Wave Mountain-Cleaving Sword in one hand and Iron Wave Claw in the other.
Whoosh! Swoosh!
The blades sliced through the air.
But they didn't touch flesh.
Na Jung-cheon calmly evaded Cheol-ryeong's sword and fist.
And struck back at the perfect moments.
Clang!
Clang clang!
Their clashes continued.
As time wore on, Na Jung-cheon gained the edge.
Only natural.
Cheol-ryeong was exhausted beyond exhaustion.
"Just like lowborn trash, utterly cowardly."
Cheol-ryeong spat, full of indignation.
"Says the guy who couldn't stomach a little hunger and spent all night hunting scraps of meat?"
Na Jung-cheon's words pierced his lungs.
"Raaargh!"
Did it hit a nerve?
Cheol-ryeong let out a beastly roar and lunged.
His entire body was wide open.
Na Jung-cheon effortlessly sidestepped the reckless charge and showered Cheol-ryeong's body with sword strikes.
"Urk."
Cheol-ryeong collapsed with a groan of pain.
Defeated. Eliminated.
Cheol-ryeong. Eliminated.
Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20's judge called the verdict.
Squad 1's judge was still trailing Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon.
A signal flare shot into the sky.
Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20 dashed back into the mountains.
This time, their target was Hwa Bo-myeong.
He was wandering lost in the mountains as faint sunlight began to filter through.
He'd lost his way.
Or rather, he'd caught sight of the flare and reoriented himself toward it.
But Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20 quickly surrounded him.
Despair was plain on Hwa Bo-myeong's face.
One against five.
No matter the foe, in his current state, he knew victory was impossible.
"To fall for such a pathetic ploy and lose to trash like you... how unjust."
"If you get taken in by trash tactics, you're worse than trash."
Sim Cheol-san stepped forward as he spoke.
From the same Heavenly Sword Sect as Hwa Bo-myeong.
Hwa Bo-myeong's eyes trembled fiercely at the sight of him.
"You damn punk."
The wretch he'd deemed less than toe jam dared step up—rage boiled over, and he kicked off the ground.
No point holding back if defeat was inevitable anyway.
He'd take this one down with him.
Heavenly Cycle Thousand Wave Swordsmanship unfolded from Hwa Bo-myeong's fingertips.
A signature technique of Heavenly Sword Sect, taught only to ten acknowledged prodigies among the third-generation disciples.
And now it bloomed from Hwa Bo-myeong's hands.
He was one of those ten prodigies.
Sent back to Dragon Training Pavilion by Heavenly Sword Sect after Mok Cheong-san and Beom Il-so fell at the Winter Combat Festival.
But compared to Mok Cheong-san and Beom Il-so, he fell far short.
Still, his swordsmanship was well-honed—the blade path of Heavenly Cycle Thousand Wave Swordsmanship was impressive.
But that was it.
Stamina, internal energy, mental fortitude—none of it was at full strength.
His strikes lacked power.
Sim Cheol-san's Graceful Dragon Swordsmanship met Hwa Bo-myeong's Heavenly Cycle Thousand Wave Swordsmanship head-on.
No—soon after, it gained the upper hand.
A bit more time passed.
And it began to dominate.
Even Sim Cheol-san, swinging his sword, could scarcely believe it.
The victory of training and tactics.
And so Hwa Bo-myeong fell.
Hwa Bo-myeong. Eliminated.
Now only Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon remained.
They were moving together.
"We'll need sword formation to take down the last two, right?"
Eun Hwa-ryang nodded at Na Jung-cheon's words.
He wanted to take Byeok I-gyeom one-on-one, but total victory came first.
Against two, sword formation was the safe play.
"Let's go."
At Eun Hwa-ryang's command, the five moved in perfect unison.
They arrived where Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon were.
A deep mountain path.
Unsuitable terrain for a sword formation.
But no problem.
There was a suitable spot nearby—they just needed to lure them there.
Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon fell right into Squad 20's trap and pursued to that spot.
They already knew.
The remaining squads were Wa Dragon Corps Squad 1 and Squad 20.
And Squad 1 had only the two of them left.
So even knowing it was a lure, they had no choice but to follow.
It was do or die.
The bet was on the line too.
Seven combatants converged in a small mountain clearing.
"Pathetic losers..."
Byeok I-gyeom growled through gritted teeth.
No matter what he said, Squad 20's five formed their sword formation unflinchingly.
The five faced Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon.
No words needed.
Thud!
The five kicked off the ground, their attacks converging on the pair.
Clang! Clang clang! Clang!
Metal rang out deafeningly.
Squad 20's five focused on maintaining the sword formation.
It was flawless.
If they stuck to their training, they could beat those two.
"Ngh."
"What the—."
Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon panicked.
The formation was too solid.
Byeok I-gyeom swung his sword but eventually lowered it.
He admitted his swordsmanship couldn't break through.
Instead, he raised his fists.
Gauntlet-clad hands.
Thunder Citadel Chaos Fist erupted from them.
Tremendous force battered the formation.
At the same time, Tak Mu-jeon unleashed Ice Soul Snow Ridge Sword.
Signature techniques of Thunder Citadel and Ice Heaven Palace unfolded from their hands.
And the two arts synergized well.
They'd synced up fighting Ironclad Iron Equipment Troops.
So even five against two wasn't easy.
These two were different from the three they'd taken out before.
Clearly a cut above.
Despite their debauched lifestyles, they'd evidently kept up their training.
The internal energy in their fists and sword was no joke.
Without the spirit pills Instructor Ha Mu-baek had fed them...
They might've run dry here and lost despite pushing this far.
The five gnashed their teeth.
They drew maximum internal energy from their dantians.
The formation's power surged.
"Urgh."
Tak Mu-jeon slid back.
Im Dae-chi's sword flew toward his throat.
Clang.
Byeok I-gyeom's fist knocked it away.
Thud.
In that instant.
Eun Hwa-ryang's sword plunged into Byeok I-gyeom's side.
Byeok I-gyeom. Eliminated!
Squad 1's judge shouted.
A triumphant smile lit Eun Hwa-ryang's face.
Whoosh!
A sound like tearing air.
Thud.
An arrow without feathers struck Eun Hwa-ryang's chest.
Eun Hwa-ryang. Eliminated!
The five survivors jolted at the sudden arrow.
'Damn it.'
Eun Hwa-ryang grimaced as he withdrew from the frontline on elimination.
Too focused on Squad 1, he'd forgotten one person.
Careless.
Fierce Dragon Corps' female cadet, no less.
Even after seeing her archery.
Byeok I-gyeom and Eun Hwa-ryang's eliminations shifted it to four against one.
But neither Tak Mu-jeon nor Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20 could fight as fiercely as before.
They sensed someone lurking, firing arrows stealthily.
Three factions eyeing each other warily.
The archer held overwhelming advantage.
She stayed hidden.
As dismay crept over Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20's faces...
Na Jung-cheon shouted.
"Take out Tak Mu-jeon first! Winning the bet is what matters—not the championship!"
He was right.
To win the bet, they just needed to outlast Wa Dragon Corps Squad 1.
Squad 1 had one survivor left.
Tak Mu-jeon, right in front of them.
The four threw everything at him.
They had to end it before arrows flew.
The Graceful Dragon Sword Formation surged violently.
It hammered Tak Mu-jeon relentlessly.
Chain attacks and combined strikes from four.
Tak Mu-jeon held with all he had, but he had limits.
'Why isn't she shooting?'
In this situation, sniping the four would benefit that wench more than him.
One shot would open a gap, giving him an opening too.
No arrow came.
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon had an arrow nocked, aimed.
But she had no intention of firing.
She'd shoot the moment Tak Mu-jeon was eliminated.
Her judge hadn't found her yet.
But now he emerged.
Drawn by the elimination flare.
That instant.
Sim Cheol-san and Yeong Hu-in's strikes knocked Tak Mu-jeon's sword upward.
His arm rose, chest exposed wide.
Perfect opening.
As Na Jung-cheon thrust at Tak Mu-jeon's chest...
Tak Mu-jeon twisted with full power, rolling across the ground.
And at the end of his roll...
Im Dae-chi waited.
His sword slashed Tak Mu-jeon's throat.
Tak Mu-jeon. Eliminated!
The judge's verdict rang out. Im Dae-chi immediately rolled away.
Expecting an arrow aimed at him.
But nothing happened.
No arrow flew.
As Im Dae-chi sheepishly rose...
Ping!
A faint twang.
No whoosh of air.
Thud!
The arrow struck Na Jung-cheon's chest.
Na Jung-cheon. Eliminated!
"H-how..."
Na Jung-cheon stared at his chest in disbelief.
An arrow without the sound of flight.
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon smiled brightly.
Three left.
And exactly three arrows remaining.
Wa Dragon Corps Squad 20's three survivors scattered instantly.
They'd won the bet.
But the Summer Combat Festival wasn't over.
They'd come this far.
Now victory was the goal.
'Pretty cute.'
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon thought as she watched them scatter.
They were decent, at least.
But that was all.
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon leaped into motion again.
Nocked an arrow.
Ping!
The faint twang again.
The arrow flew silently.
Thud!
It buried in the center of Im Dae-chi's back.
Im Dae-chi. Eliminated!
Now only Yeong Hu-in and Sim Cheol-san remained.
"Damn it."
Arrows flying unseen and silent from hiding.
The two tensed up.
They had to deflect whatever came from anywhere.
Yeong Hu-in and Sim Cheol-san gripped their swords, scanning every direction.
About fifteen minutes passed like that.
The mountains fell silent.
No movement from some point on.
Tyrant Force Thousand Kills Bow's Silent Arrow technique.
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon's mastery wasn't perfected—the bowstring made a faint sound—but against foes of this level, it was terrifying enough.
Ping!
The faint twang echoed again.
In the silence, they heard it clearly and maxed their focus.
And they saw it.
Sim Cheol-san swung.
Thud!
He blocked the arrow with his sword.
"Got it!"
Sim Cheol-san whooped in joy.
That's when Gong Ya Hwi-yeon stepped out before them.
Bowstring drawn to the breaking point.
Twang!
Screeech!
The string snapped forward with a thunderous whoosh.
They saw the arrow flying straight at them.
Sim Cheol-san tried to bat it away, but the arrow was faster, fiercer.
Thud!
It hit Sim Cheol-san's shoulder.
They thought that was it.
But the arrow didn't lose momentum.
Sim Cheol-san was flung back, crashing down.
The arrow plunged straight into Yeong Hu-in's chest.
Yeong Hu-in. Eliminated!
"Urk."
Sim Cheol-san's shoulder wound spared him elimination.
He struggled to rise.
But a sword was already at his throat.
When had she appeared?
The female cadet stood over the fallen Sim Cheol-san, blade dangling loosely.
Gong Ya Hwi-yeon—no, Chu Hwi-yeon.
Sim Cheol-san. Eliminated!
"Final survivor: Chu Hwi-yeon! Victory to Fierce Dragon Corps Squad 9!"
The judge's final verdict rang out.