Chapter 63. The Hundred Steps Ritual (5)

The moment Yoo-ri took her first step, following those who went ahead.

Many people's faces stiffened.

Creak.

'What is this?'

Just taking one step, and it's already so different!

A total of 32 people managed to take their first step with great effort.

But only 22 of them succeeded in placing their feet on the ground.

Rustle.

Ten people fell to the side, unable to even take their first step.

Meanwhile, the 22 who barely managed to take their first step were gasping for breath.

Thud.

Once again, a heavy sound was heard.

22 pairs of eyes turned to the front, where Yoo-ri, who had just taken her step, stood.

The expressions of those who saw her back stiffened even more.

'Further... away?'

Clearly, they had taken a step, yet why had the distance between them and her widened?

The answer to this question was very simple.

It was a truly simple principle.

'Two steps... taken?'

While they were struggling to take their first step, the one walking ahead had already taken two steps.

Realizing this, Gunter gritted his teeth and took another step.

Following this, the others also took their steps.

Creak.

Thud.

Thus, the second step.

Another ten people fell, leaving only 12.

The third step followed.

Crack.

Rustle.

Unable to withstand the pressure that had multiplied several times, more people fell.

Now, only seven remained.

And.

Thud.

Two more fell at the fourth step.

Thud.

After the fifth step, only three remained.

Arin Helga.

Bobicratan Kapurta.

And Gunter Irons.

The three who had taken the first steps to follow Yoo-ri.

They were the only ones left.

But their condition was not good.

Arin, with her upper body half-bowed, was supporting herself with her knees.

Bobi, pale as a ghost.

Gunter, bleeding from between his lips.

Their bodies trembled like leaves in the wind.

But they took the next step as if in a competition.

With that.

Rustle.

Before taking the sixth step, Arin fell forward.

Thud!

Although she managed to take another step, Bobi lost consciousness and fell to the side the moment her foot touched the ground.

Finally, Gunter.

Thud.

He successfully took six steps, barely managing to straighten his folding upper body.

Shiver.

It felt like entering the deepest depths of the ocean.

The pressure was so intense that even breathing was difficult.

Gunter clung to his fading consciousness and looked ahead.

The boy who had walked ahead had taken seven steps and was struggling to take the eighth.

'Just... caught up... with him...'

He had chased after the boy who walked ahead and narrowed the gap to just one step.

If he took one more step, he would finally stand beside the black-haired boy.

But.

'Is this the limit...?'

His mana was depleted, and his trained body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.

Judging by the whiteness spreading in his vision, he seemed to have already surpassed his mental limits.

In that narrowing field of vision.

Gasp.

The black-haired boy was about to take his eighth step.

Gunter's eyes widened.

'That kid?'

The black-haired boy was moving.

Thud. Crunch. Creak.

The terrifying sounds coming from the boy's body.

The grueling sounds of his struggle against the harsh pressure reached Gunter's ears.

It was a truly precarious sight.

It wouldn't be surprising if he fell right then and there.

But the boy finally.

Boom.

Succeeded in planting his next footprint with a heavy thud.

"Ugh!"

But was this the price of success?

The black-haired boy's knees buckled.

Seeing his pitiful back, Gunter's eyes narrowed.

'Eight steps.'

He could imagine how difficult it must have been to take those eight steps, having walked six himself.

Even a two-step difference likely meant the boy was enduring several times the pressure he was.

That alone was enough to acknowledge the boy's strength.

'But... this is as far as it goes.'

The kid must also be at his limit now.

'You and I... the difference is two steps.'

Gunter acknowledged this difference.

At the same time, the moment he slightly loosened his grip on his fading consciousness.

Grind.

The boy, who had been kneeling, straightened his upper body.

A sound like an animal's roar escaped from him.

Gasp! Cough!

With a final effort, the boy's upper body straightened.

Thud.

He took another step.

'...What?'

The intensity of the moment snapped Gunter back to his senses.

Roar!

Yoo-ri's back, roaring, filled Gunter's vision.

'You...'

Thus, the scene of one challenger struggling to take the ninth step came to an end.

'...Not giving up?'

Rustle.

Gunter Irons' vision went dark.

* * *

When Yoo-ri took her first step, the audience didn't pay much attention.

There was only a slight, indifferent reaction to the first person to take a step.

But as she took her second step and began to lead the others, curiosity started to grow.

'She's walking smoothly up to the second step. Not bad.'

'She's not bad at all.'

The audience, now more engaged, watched as the other 50th batch members took their steps.

When the 50th batch members took their first steps.

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Seeing Yoo-ri, who had taken two more steps, the audience finally realized something was off.

'Are the others just slow?'

'No, this... this kid is just too fast!'

She had acted before anyone else and was walking faster and more powerfully than anyone.

By the time she had taken four steps, the audience's expressions turned serious.

'So fast!'

'Four steps, and she still has energy left.'

Everyone in the audience had already gone through the Hundred Steps Ritual.

They knew how incredibly fast the black-haired girl was walking.

'Why does it look so easy for her? It wasn't like that for me.'

With a bit of skill, one could manage up to two steps.

But from the third step onward, even with mana, the body would be pushed back.

From the third step, it was normal to be exhausted.

Yet, the black-haired girl seemed to have ease even after four steps.

'Someone once said, if it looks easy for someone to do something, they must be really good at it.'

'She's pretty good, huh?'

At that point, the audience thought, "A decent kid has appeared."

But when Yoo-ri took her fifth step, followed by her sixth.

Swallow.

The audience gasped.

'She's already taken six steps?!'

'Will she succeed at the seventh step?'

Up to six steps, those called geniuses outside often succeeded.

But from the seventh step onward, it was a different story.

It was said that in the cradle, six and seven steps were the dividing line between fake and real geniuses.

Those who succeeded at seven steps could be counted on one hand.

Thus, the audience's attention was drawn to Yoo-ri's seventh step.

Boom.

When Yoo-ri finally took her seventh step, sighs of admiration echoed throughout the audience.

"Wow... another real genius in the 50th batch."

"Seven steps."

As the audience marveled, those following Yoo-ri gradually narrowed the gap.

When three more succeeded at six steps, the audience sighed again.

"This 50th batch is quite good."

"One with seven steps, and three with six?"

"One is even at five and a half, but still, this is quite impressive."

There were batches where no one reached six steps.

In that sense, the 50th batch, with four people taking six steps or more, was quite exceptional.

Moreover, one of them had walked seven steps.

Just as everyone was marveling at the record of eight steps.

"Huh? That kid?!"

Someone's short exclamation drew the audience's attention back to the arena.

There, Yoo-ri, who had taken seven steps and paused for a while, was starting to move again.

"Eight... steps?!"

"Why are you all jumping to conclusions? She hasn't succeeded yet."

Some were surprised.

Others urged a more cautious observation.

As they did so.

Thud.

With a soft sound, Yoo-ri successfully planted her eighth footprint.

At the same time, many people gasped as she fell forward.

"Huh? Another one after two years?"

"Two years since the last one with eight steps?"

Eight steps.

It was a record that occasionally appeared after 35 years, when Mei Winchester set the record of nine steps.

So far, only four people had achieved eight steps.

The most recent record was set by the 48th batch.

People thought it would be years before another eight-step record appeared.

But in just two years, another had achieved it.

Just as everyone was amazed by the eight-step record and hadn't noticed Yoo-ri's condition.

"Still."

Teresia muttered.

"Still."

As if hearing Teresia's mutter, Yoo-ri's upper body began to stir.

Simultaneously, a monstrous sound erupted.

Gasp.

A sound that was neither a laugh nor a cry escaped Yoo-ri as her upper body slowly rose.

Shouts of shock erupted from all around.

"Wh-what?!"

"Insane!"

When Yoo-ri finally straightened her upper body, the surroundings fell silent.

From the 46th batch to the 49th batch.

Even the Black Swordsmen.

Tens of thousands of people held their breath and looked down at the arena.

There...

Gasp!

Hundreds of fallen people behind her.

A single human, struggling to stand alone.

Roar!

Yoo-ri, as if expelling everything, roared and finally managed to stand on her knees.

Soon, her legs began to move.

In fact...

It was more like dragging her body forward than walking.

Her entire body trembled under the immense pressure from all sides, but her eyes were sharp.

And finally.

Creak.

Thud.

She successfully took her ninth step.

"Nine... steps."

"Unbelievable..."

For the first time in 35 years, someone had taken nine steps.

Everyone was stunned by this incredible fact.

Then, someone said in a trance.

"But that kid... is still... moving?"

Indeed, Yoo-ri, who had taken nine steps, was still advancing.

* * *

It hurts.

My entire body feels shattered.

'I want to rest.'

When I fell after taking eight steps, I desperately wanted to sleep.

But Yoo-ri got up and walked again.

'Just... just eight steps, and I can't collapse?'

The Sword Master was still far away.

Johan, who had walked ahead, still had his back to me.

'I said I'd catch up quickly, didn't I?'

So, collapsing after just eight steps was unacceptable to Yoo-ri's pride.

Thus, she struggled to straighten her upper body.

Boom.

She took her ninth step.

It was definitely the result of pushing herself to the limit.

Yet, Yoo-ri still felt it was not enough.

She asked herself.

'Is this the end? Is this all I can do?'

Yoo-ri objectively assessed herself.

Despite conserving her mana, her mana core was empty.

Her stamina, which she thought was decent, was also at its limit.

But for some reason, her mind was clear.

'It's enough. I can go further.'

With this conviction, Yoo-ri moved forward.

And finally.

Boom.

A different sound was made as the tenth footprint was planted.

Then, Yoo-ri's body collapsed again.

Face planted in the dirt, Yoo-ri muttered softly.

"Ten..."

Out of 100 steps, she had only taken ten.

This was the highest record in 35 years, but Yoo-ri, unaware of this fact, couldn't be happy.

She just slightly lifted her head and looked ahead.

The Sword Master, with his chin resting on his hand, looked at her with a bored expression.

'Is this... not even enough to draw your interest?'

It made sense.

To a Sword Master, what value could a mere failure who collapsed 90 steps away have?

Knowing this, Yoo-ri wanted to see that bored expression change.

But...

'Is this my limit now?'

She was at her limit.

She had no strength left to get up.

Just holding onto her consciousness against the overwhelming pressure was a miracle.

'So... I'll admit it. I'm just a ten-step person.'

After testing herself, she realized that with only her own strength, this was as far as she could go.

And now, she planned to use a slightly different method.

This might surprise the bored-looking Sword Master.

At that moment, Yoo-ri made her decision.

Thud.

Far ahead, Johan's shadow, moving toward the Sword Master, stopped.

Then, he slowly turned and sneered at Yoo-ri.

As if asking how long she would stay fallen.

Yoo-ri also smiled.

'I get it, I'll be right there!'

With that, Yoo-ri spread the small amount of mana she had been conserving throughout her body.

Johan, far ahead.

The shortcut he had created by rolling and rolling.

The mana road he had created to face a monster.

A small amount of mana rushed forward.

The Redner family's secret martial technique.

Mana Flow.

Thus.

Whoosh.

The flow of mana began to surge around Yoo-ri.