Chapter 42: You Can't Handle Me
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: You Can't Handle Me
Whoosh—!
A massive fist grazed past his head by a hair's breadth.
Ki Mu-hyeok, who had dodged by arching his back, immediately kicked up, aiming for his opponent's face.
Pa-ba-ba-bak!
Hands and feet clashed repeatedly, tracing all sorts of trajectories.
The sudden fight made the martial artists glance over, only to have their gazes completely captivated.
It was a close-quarters hand combat of such high caliber that it naturally drew gasps of admiration.
"Whoa...!"
"It doesn't even seem like hand-to-foot combat is their main style..."
"Don't they ever get tired?"
Not only the martial artists, exhausted in body and mind from the License Exam, but also the Black-White Agents, whose job it was to stop fights outside the exam, watched the two for a moment.
[It doesn't seem like they have a grudge.]
[Don't they look like friends?]
[Even so, they could get seriously hurt...]
[That's just how twenty-year-olds are, I guess.]
[They're both this year's rising stars, so we'll intervene if it gets dangerous.]
Fortunately, the Black-White Agents didn't have to step in to break up the fight.
After exchanging dozens of blows in the time it would take an ordinary person to take a few breaths, the two simultaneously retreated as if on cue.
"Judging by your reaction speed, you must've only fought against scrubs all three times, huh?"
Shin Kang-heon clicked his tongue, sounding subtly disappointed, and Ki Mu-hyeok scoffed in response.
"You're one to talk. You look like you coasted through the exam, seeing as you don't have a single scratch."
"Me? I just overwhelmed my opponents with skill, no matter who they were."
Shin Kang-heon thumped his chest with his fist.
Then, belatedly noticing that Ki Mu-hyeok's martial uniform was torn and scratched in several places, unlike his own, he subtly furrowed his brow.
These were the marks from his consecutive battles with Oh Jung-min and Song Jun-ho.
"Did you get hurt, by any chance? You can't use an injury as an excuse if you lose to me later!"
"Should I give you an injury too, just to make it fair?"
Exchanging insults as naturally as breathing, the two glared at each other before chuckling and lightly bumping fists.
It was their own way of expressing their welcome.
Just then, Ki Mu-hyeok noticed the black hand combat gloves on Shin Kang-heon's hands and asked, "What are those hand combat gloves you're wearing? I haven't seen them before."
"These? I took them, and it's a pain to carry them around, so I'm just using them myself."
"...You just plundered them, you psycho."
"I won and took them, so aren't they spoils of war? They didn't even ask for them back."
The Golden Glory Sect martial artist who had his hand combat gloves taken by Shin Kang-heon also appeared in the distance, having passed the exam. But upon spotting Shin Kang-heon, he slowly backed away and disappeared.
Ki Mu-hyeok shook his head. "Well, do as you please. I have someone I need to meet for a bit..."
"Ki Mu-hyeok!"
At the sound of a welcome voice, Ki Mu-hyeok's head turned.
As time passed, other familiar faces besides Shin Kang-heon began to gather one by one.
"My sword. You've kept it safe, right?"
Oh Jung-min of the Pine Moon Sect looked pale, as if he had suffered internal injuries.
But a pleasant smile played on his lips.
Though it had only been a few hours since they last met, Ki Mu-hyeok noticed that his gaze had deepened considerably.
'Looks like he had some kind of epiphany.'
That didn't mean his martial arts had suddenly improved by leaps and bounds.
Oh Jung-min already possessed outstanding skill, and through this exam, his mindset had become even firmer.
It was a small difference, but in real combat, it could be the difference between life and death.
"Brother Jung-min. Your aura has changed in just a short while, hasn't it?"
"Really?"
"You seem... more mature, somehow?"
"What? Haha! I'm several years older than you, you know!"
Oh Jung-min approached and playfully ruffled Ki Mu-hyeok's hair.
Ki Mu-hyeok smiled and returned the sword to Oh Jung-min.
Meeting Oh Jung-min again, who had willingly accepted two losses and left, made him feel a little more at ease.
"Hey-o!"
Song Jun-ho of the Taiji Sword Sect also spotted Ki Mu-hyeok from afar and started to approach, then paused.
Not only Shin Kang-heon, who was next to Ki Mu-hyeok, but Oh Jung-min was also quite tall.
Song Jun-ho, rooted to the spot, simply waved his hands vigorously.
Swish, swish, swish!
It probably meant, 'Let's do well in the next exam too.'
"Huh? Isn't that the shorty from the Taiji Sword Sect? Hey, you crazy bastard. You know him?"
"It's a shame his limbs are short, but his skill is excellent."
"Tsk. I want to fight him too..."
As Shin Kang-heon stepped forward, Song Jun-ho quickly turned around and went to settle down quite a distance away with his fellow disciples.
While Ki Mu-hyeok exchanged greetings with familiar faces one by one, all the Third-Rate License qualifiers gathered in the Grand Training Arena.
Thump—!
A heavy stomp instantly drew the attention of all the examinees.
[[Attention.]]
The martial artists, who had been happily chatting and asking about each other, tensed up and looked towards the platform.
'Killing Intent?'
Surprisingly, Black-White 1 was revealing killing intent towards the martial artists gathered there.
[[Before we begin the Second-Rate License Exam, we will inform you of the rules and precautions.]]
It wasn't hostile killing intent so much as the feeling of a predator quietly licking its chops before its prey.
As the examinees, who were about to challenge the Second-Rate Martial Artist License, instinctively reached for their weapons, Black-White 1 finally released the killing intent and spoke in a gentle voice.
[[The first precaution I must inform you of is that the probability of injury is significantly higher than in the Third-Rate License Exam. We ask that you remain as vigilant as you are now throughout the exam.]]
Gulp...
The sound of dry gulps could be heard everywhere.
The Third-Rate License Exam was by no means easy, and the mention of it being much more difficult and dangerous made them feel a flicker of unease.
But the people gathered here were martial artists.
They had gained confidence by passing the exam, and driven by the desire to reach higher, they had chosen the next challenge themselves.
"Let's start quickly! I'm already itching for it!"
"I'm confident no matter who I face."
"No one here is scared anymore, so just explain the rules!"
[[Very well. Then I will explain the Second-Rate License Exam.]]
Black-White 1 nodded with satisfaction, and dozens of Black-White Agents lined up before him.
All of them wore identical clothes and masks, making their identities impossible to discern.
Their voices were also modulated, making it difficult to even guess their gender.
[[The Second-Rate Martial Artist License Exam will be conducted as a team competition.]]
At the mention of a team competition, the examinees murmured amongst themselves.
[[Unlike the Third-Rate License Exam, which primarily judged individual ability, the Second-Rate License Exam applies more diverse and stringent evaluation criteria.]]
Snap!
Black-White 1 snapped his fingers, and the mist that had covered the entire examination hall dispersed, and the scenery began to change.
Hwaaaak—
Where the mist receded, bushes sprouted, transforming into a dense forest.
Grass grew from the bland ground, and the sounds of animals and birds began to echo from the sky and earth.
"Hmph..."
"W-wait, the environment just changed like that?"
"Even the smells and sensations feel so real."
The martial artists looked around, starting to feel bewildered.
It was a large-scale spell formation, impossible to implement by any organization smaller than the Korean Martial Alliance.
The environment, created with the help of various Mechanical Formations and Spellcasters, perfectly deceived not only what the martial artists saw but also what they felt.
Ki Mu-hyeok felt some of the receding mist seep into his body and thought, 'Was exposing us to the mist from the beginning a preliminary step to prepare for this?'
Ki Mu-hyeok, Shin Kang-heon, and other martial artists with extremely sensitive senses felt a momentary dizziness.
But even that quickly faded, and they soon found themselves in the middle of a lush forest.
[[From now on, you will form teams of at least two people and carry out missions. You will be evaluated on your capabilities through various missions such as escort, transport, rescue, survival, and interception.]]
Kuh-heo-eong!
The roar of a mountain beast, shaking the very mountains, echoed.
Behind it, the cackling laughter of a woman, an unpleasant noise like fingernails on a chalkboard, and the rough singing of men also reverberated like an echo.
[[The Monstrous Beings created by the Mechanical Formations and spells installed here will interfere with your missions.]]
Srrrk...
Black-White 1 and the other Black-White Agents slowly became transparent, until they were no longer visible.
Only their voices could be heard from the air.
[[We will give you 10 minutes to prepare. The first mission requires two people. Please find a partner to team up with for the entire exam, from start to finish. Those who are ready, please follow the path ahead...]]
After that, Black-White 1's voice was no longer heard.
The participants began to murmur, exchanging glances.
"Two people?"
"It'll probably change later. They said 'at least two' earlier. I guess team members might be added or changed in the middle."
"Either way, the person you coordinate with first is the most important..."
Coincidentally, Oh Jung-min and Shin Kang-heon both looked at Ki Mu-hyeok at the same time.
He was someone who could be a more trustworthy partner than anyone else.
Considering his outstanding martial arts and his calm demeanor in most situations, he was someone they could trust their backs to without worry.
"I..."
Just as Oh Jung-min was about to say something, Shin Kang-heon beat him to the punch.
"I'm not teaming with you."
Shin Kang-heon took a step back, clearly expressing his intention.
His eyes, fixed on Ki Mu-hyeok, burned with competitiveness.
"I came here to fight strong guys and win, not to coast my way up by teaming with you and taking it easy."
Shin Kang-heon grinned, then turned away without a second thought.
He was off to find another partner.
"Who said I wanted to team with you?"
Ki Mu-hyeok stared at his back with a bewildered expression, when Oh Jung-min, standing next to him, gave an awkward laugh and said, "I was going to say it first, but I was a step too late."
"Brother Jung-min?"
Oh Jung-min also smiled gently and took a step back from Ki Mu-hyeok.
"If I rely on you, Mu-hyeok, the exam would be too easy. I want to... hone myself even further in this exam."
And so, Oh Jung-min also left to find another partner.
"Honestly..."
Ki Mu-hyeok, who had just stood there and been rejected twice, looked at the backs of the two with a bewildered expression.
But he understood their feelings well enough, so he just let out a laugh.
"Well, I wasn't planning on teaming up with anyone anyway."
Ki Mu-hyeok turned and walked towards someone.
Fortunately, the person he was looking for also seemed to be without a partner yet.
'A rising star who was severely injured in this exam and couldn't recover. I don't remember her name or her sect, but...'
When their eyes met, the person standing blankly slowly tilted her head.
Ki Mu-hyeok walked straight towards the girl with hair as white as snow.
'Just one thing. I remember she had an Extreme Yin Constitution.'
Yang Ha-yun of the Sun Moon Sect.
A Grade 1 Constitution, specifically a special constitution classified as Extreme Yin Constitution.
"You, team up with me."
Yang Ha-yun slowly raised her head, looking up at Ki Mu-hyeok, who was much taller than her, and then opened her mouth.
"...What Constitution Grade?"
"Me? I'm Grade 4."
At that answer, Yang Ha-yun frowned and slowly shook her head.
"...Grade 3 or lower won't do."
Ki Mu-hyeok's expression twisted slightly at the unexpected dismissal.
"Are you saying our levels don't match?"
"...It's not that..."
Yang Ha-yun's answers, and her actions in general, were slow.
If he had seen her outside the examination hall, he wouldn't have even thought she was a martial artist.
"...You can't handle me."
"What do you mean by that?"
As if to show him the reason directly rather than explain it in words, Yang Ha-yun released the Extreme Yin Energy she had been suppressing.
Swaaaaaaah—
A biting chill snaked out from Yang Ha-yun's body, spreading into the surroundings.
"If you're going to be with me, you'll have to endure this cold constantly."
Yang Ha-yun, having revealed her Extreme Yin Energy, spoke in a much more natural voice.
Crackle—
Thin ice formed on the grass on the ground, scattered by the wind, and the aura was strong enough to make even the Sun Moon Sect martial artists standing nearby slowly back away.
"Ugh..."
"Lady Ha-yun! If you recklessly reveal your Extreme Yin Energy here...!"
Ki Mu-hyeok finally understood what Yang Ha-yun meant by "can't handle me."
"You're the worst type for group projects, aren't you?"
"If you understand, then go."
Yang Ha-yun, with a crestfallen expression, tried to rein in her Extreme Yin Energy.
She didn't want to cause any more trouble for those around her.
At that moment, Ki Mu-hyeok took a large step towards her and smiled.
"Shall we give it a try? See if I can handle it or not."
White frost clung to his eyebrows.