Chapter 62

Thirty minutes before the battle began.

All 42 of the 5th Training Ground's trainees, except Raon, gathered at the western base.

"Raon isn't here."

Bureun frowned and turned his head.

"Runan, where is Raon?"

"Don't know."

Runan, who was sitting at the base of a tree, turned his head slightly. It wasn't that he didn't care if Raon didn't come; his eyes showed that he believed Raon would definitely show up.

Tsk.

Bureun clicked his tongue. He was anxious because the person who should have come quickly to command the operation was nowhere to be seen.

"Let's gather. At least familiarize yourselves with the terrain before he arrives."

"Yes."

"Understood."

Most of the trainees gathered in front of the spread-out map, but Marta was eating fruit in a tree, and Runan didn't move from his seat.

"Take a look. First, this side…."

Bureun pointed out places where the enemy might launch a surprise attack or where it could be dangerous.

However, he didn't examine the map and terrain as seriously.

'No matter what, we'll win.'

Even if a few elites from the 6th Training Ground joined, most of them were those who had failed the 5th Training Ground test.

They had trained their hardest and accumulated a lot of sparring experience, so even if they wanted to lose, they couldn't.

When the trainees had sufficiently familiarized themselves with the terrain and warmed up, Raon arrived at the base.

"Raon."

"The top student being late is pathetic."

Runan was the first to rush out, and Marta rolled her eyes.

"Get here quickly and plan the strategy, what were you doing?!"

Bureun narrowed his eyes and stomped his foot, but Raon walked to the flag without much reaction.

"There's no need to be so tense. Why would you lose to the 6th Training Ground?"

Raon sat on a cut tree stump and smirked. It seemed to give a sense of confidence, but also a bit of mockery.

"Hmm, yeah."

"Actually, that's true."

"To be honest, the opponents are weak."

"Except for Sir Cain, we could sweep them away in one go."

The trainees, who didn't feel such emotions, nodded with even more confidence.

"I'm glad you understand. Then, fight on your own."

"J-Just fight?"

"Without a strategy?"

"We can win anyway. Why bother with a shabby strategy?"

"You've thought it through. I like it!"

Marta jumped into the center of the slightly flustered trainees.

"I'll destroy everything myself, so you don't need to step in. Just wait here!"

She said this and summoned her aura.

"Are you serious?"

Bureun narrowed his eyes and approached Raon.

"You think the same, right?"

"Hmm…."

Raon's question made Bureun click his tongue. Honestly, it wasn't a wrong statement.

If Raon and Runan kept Cain in check while Marta and he moved on both sides, the 6th Training Ground's defense would be devastated.

"Move with the side-line trainees you follow. I'll take care of the rest."

"What are you going to do?"

"Cain might launch a surprise attack, so I need to guard the flag here."

"I'll stay here too."

Raon pointed to the red flag behind him, and Runan plopped down under the flag.

"Alright. The two of you should be enough."

Bureun nodded and stepped back, instructing the side-line trainees who usually followed him to move up.

"We'll go down."

"It's just the rejects from the temporary test. It'll be easy."

"Have they even seen a real sword?"

The trainees from the Fengshen family and the recommended trainees chatted as they moved down.

Beep!

When everyone was ready, the battle start signal sounded from the top of the mountain.

The fight wouldn't end until one side's flag was torn down.

"Hold on."

Just as the trainees were about to run out, Raon's voice came from behind. Everyone turned around.

"As the top student, I'm giving you the final strategy. Do as you please, but if I order a retreat due to a bad situation, you must come back."

"Don't worry, that won't happen!"

Marta ran to the center, breaking the ground.

"The same goes for you. Let's go!"

Bureun led the side-line trainees up, and the recommended trainees and Fengshen family trainees ran down.

"Raon, can we win?"

Runan patted the flag and asked.

"It'll be tough if they keep this up."

Raon shook his head, watching the trainees running in three directions, and closed his eyes.

"They'll come back beaten up."

* * *

Boom!

Marta charged forward like a bull seeing a red cloth.

'I'll take care of everything myself.'

There was no need for other trainees. She could sweep away all the rejects from the 6th Training Ground on her own.

After breaking through the dense undergrowth for about five minutes, she saw nine trainees. The number 6 on their leather armor indicated they were from the 6th Training Ground.

"Nice to see you!"

Marta licked her lips and kicked the ground. In mid-air, she surrounded her fist with Titan's aura and punched down.

Kwaang!

Her meteor-like punch crumbled the earth, and the 6th Training Ground trainees scattered in all directions.

"Marta Zighart."

A large trainee in the center raised his sword and called out her name.

"Are you the vanguard?"

Marta spun her wrist and drew her sword from her waist.

"Since it's annoying, come at me all at once."

"I'm Den Zighart. I'm from the side-line…."

"I don't need the name of someone who's going to fall!"

"Hmm…."

Den, who revealed his name, didn't fall for the provocation. He calmly placed his sword in the middle.

"You seem to have some skills!"

Marta smirked and charged at Den, swinging her sword.

Kwang!

The sound of swords colliding like an explosion echoed. While Marta stood her ground, Den was pushed back five steps and his hand trembled.

Tsk.

Marta clicked her tongue, looking at Den who was pushed back.

'I was going to finish it in one blow.'

She intended to end it with one strike, but Den managed to withstand her attack by taking a few steps back. He wasn't an easy opponent.

'But he's not that difficult either.'

Marta summoned Titan's aura to strengthen her body. Her momentum surged explosively.

"Ugh!"

"Kuh…."

Den and the 6th Training Ground trainees groaned under the pressure.

"Don't be troublesome, let's finish this quickly!"

Marta's black pearl-like eyes shone as she raised her sword. The massive energy in her sword erupted like a volcano.

"Third Brother!"

Den lowered his sword to the middle and gave an unknown command. Four trainees who had been hiding behind him moved to his side and gathered their swords.

Kwaang!

Marta's sword clashed with the five swords, and a red flame shot up.

"Kuh!"

"Hold on!"

Despite the intense pressure, the trainees gritted their teeth and didn't back down.

"Just a bunch of ants!"

Marta sneered and swung her sword. A stronger energy than before enveloped her blade.

Kwang!

A sound like an explosion echoed, and the trainees' bodies staggered.

"Huh."

"Kuh."

But they didn't fall, even though they were pushed back. They gritted their teeth and held on.

"Alright, let's see who wins!"

Marta bit her lip and swung her sword repeatedly.

"Second Brother! Fifth Brother!"

Den changed the defensive stance and people, continuously blocking Marta's attacks.

"Tsk, I'll take out the others first!"

"That's already prepared for!"

Marta tried to attack a short-haired woman on the right, avoiding Den in the center.

But Den and the trainees rotated smoothly like a clock, blocking her sword.

"Kuh…."

Marta bit her lip. As Den had said, when she tried to attack another side, a trainee stepped back, and Den moved forward. She couldn't break through.

'Just practicing defense?'

Their defense was as solid as a rock, as if they had only practiced defense. Attacking recklessly would only waste her aura.

"Huh, you're troublesome."

Marta stepped back and summoned Titan's aura to its full extent. Her sword vibrated violently and emitted a faint yellow light.

"I'll acknowledge your efforts, but this is as far as it goes."

"Brother Ten!"

Den didn't respond and called out a number he hadn't used before. Eight trainees gathered behind him.

"It's useless!"

Marta kicked the ground and poured the Titan aura in her sword vertically.

"Die!"

"Hold on!"

At Den's command, the trainees' bodies glowed with the same light.

Kwaang!

A deafening sound echoed, and the sand and dirt on the ground shot up like a fountain.

"Huh!"

In the rain of falling sand, Marta's eyes widened.

"You held on?"

Den and the trainees panted heavily and were pushed back, but not a single one fell. They had withstood her full power.

"Such crazy bastards!"

"Kyaah!"

Marta's eyes glowed with madness as she swung her sword repeatedly. Den and the trainees wobbled but didn't drop their swords.

"You bastards…."

"The protagonist of the world isn't just you."

"What?"

"We've also shed blood and sweat. Don't think you can win easily!"

Marta's forehead veins bulged.

"Shut up!"

She roared and swung her sword, gathering the remaining energy, but she couldn't break through Den's defense.

Instead, it seemed to get even stronger.

"Ugh!"

"We've been practicing to block your aura and sword skills. As long as the sword formation holds, we won't lose."

"Sword formation…."

She knew they had formed a sword formation. She had intended to break it with sheer power, but she didn't expect it to be this strong.

'Dangerous…'

Marta narrowed her eyes and pulled her sword to the side. She had used too much energy just now, and her aura was dropping.

On the other hand, the 6th Training Ground trainees, because they were together, recovered their aura faster.

'I need to buy some time.'

It was a method she didn't like, but she had no choice.

"Your energy is running out. Scatter!"

Just as she was about to step back to recover her aura, Den charged forward with his sword. He was a quick-witted guy.

"How dare you!"

Marta swung her sword, which she was pulling back, and struck down at Den's head.

Jing!

Den gritted his teeth and withstood the impact. His hand trembled but he didn't back down.

"Now!"

At his command, four trainees attacked from all sides with their swords.

"Tsk!"

Marta twisted her sword and deflected all the trainees' swords, but the attacks continued like a flood.

'There's no opening.'

When she swung her sword, Den defended, and the others attacked again. The relentless sequence left no room to breathe.

'Damn! I can't collapse here!'

She had underestimated them. She thought they were rejects, but she didn't expect them to be this prepared.

Zing!

Her sword, aimed at an opening, was deflected again by Den.

"Huh…."

Marta dodged the incoming sword and panted heavily.

'Damn!'

Because the situation was bad, she thought of Raon's words. "You can definitely win, right?"

'That guy. He must have known all along.'

He had definitely mocked her, knowing she would struggle like this.

'So I have to win no matter what.'

Marta clenched her fist. She had to break through somehow and flatten Raon's nose, but she couldn't see a way.

Honestly, she had a feeling she would lose like this.

'What should I do?'

"Thinking about other things during battle!"

While she was pondering how to defeat the opponent, Den, who had only been defending, charged like a bull.

Bang!

Marta was pushed back by a powerful shoulder tackle.

"Now!"

At Den's command, the trainees, who hadn't regained their stance, attacked Marta with their swords.

"Alright! Even if I fall here, I'll crush you!"

Just as Marta was about to charge with her sword reversed, a silver coldness rose from the ground.

"Th-This!"

Runan, with purple eyes, jumped out from behind the bushes.

"W-Why are you here…."

"Raon ordered a retreat."

Runan drew a semicircle with his sword, and the coldness on the ground rose like mist.

"No!"

"Order."

"I haven't lost yet…."

"Order."

"Kuh, damn it!"

Marta lowered her hand, looking at Runan's transparent eyes, and stepped back, biting her lip.

Runan glanced at Den and the trainees, who were split by the frost, and followed Marta.

"That Marta retreated!"

"We, we won! We won!"

"Yaaah!"

The trainees cheered, feeling the worth of enduring the hellish training.

The cheers of the 6th Training Ground trainees weren't just in the center. They could be heard from the upper side where Bureun was and the lower side where the side-line trainees moved.

Bang!

As the trainees were cheering for their victory, Cain Zighart jumped down from a tree.

"Sir Cain!"

Den ran to Cain with a wide smile.

"Good job."

"Did we win in other places too?"

"Yes. As expected, Raon and Runan didn't move, and we won in all three places."

"Yaaah!"

"Really won!"

"Ah, it feels surreal."

The trainees hugged each other, bursting into bright laughter.

"It's too early to celebrate."

When Cain raised his hand, the trainees' laughter stopped abruptly.

"Don't let your guard down until we pull the enemy's flag."

His blue eyes sparkled like stars.

"We'll follow the plan to the end."

* * *

Raon scanned the 5th Training Ground trainees standing in front of him.

They were covered in sweat and dirt, their muscles trembling, and their eyes filled with confusion. They looked like defeated soldiers.

The late-arriving Bureun and the side-line trainees were no different.

Bureun, who had trained systematically, was probably unable to fully utilize his abilities, being blocked by the trainees who had mastered sensory sword skills and continuously pushed back.

"How was it? Was it as easy as you expected?"

No one answered. Bureun bit his lip, and Marta glared fiercely.

The other trainees couldn't find words and looked down at the ground.

"Let me tell you what you're misunderstanding."

Raon's red eyes twisted like moonlight.

"You think the world is standing still while only you have changed. 'Once we beat them, we can beat them again. Most of those guys failed the test. They were ignored by the Owen Kingdom. We'll win no matter what.' Is that what you think?"

"..."

Again, the trainees couldn't answer. It was exactly as Raon had said.

"The world changes faster than you think. You might lose to someone you beat today tomorrow, and the day after, they might not even be a match for you. But…."

Raon's voice deepened. It was a bone-chilling sound, as if rising from the underground.

"Thinking you can win without knowing the opponent's strategy? Thinking you can crush them alone? You came back, drunk on self-satisfaction, wasting your aura and stamina, and even showing your skills. How impressive."

His gaze swept over Bureun and Marta, then each trainee one by one. The trainees' bodies trembled.

"Lions give their all even when hunting rabbits. But you are not lions, and they are not rabbits. Those trainees are swordsmen who have honed their skills every day. They are not to be underestimated just because you are a bit ahead."

"Kuh…."

"Ugh…."

Bureun and the trainees bowed their heads deeply. Their faces turned red with embarrassment. Marta scowled but couldn't speak.

"Then, are we going to lose?"

Runan stepped to the side from the back.

"We might, but we might not."

At Raon's calm words, the trainees slowly raised their heads.

"You said we used a lot of stamina and aura, right?"

"Four of us are already down."

"This isn't a one-on-one duel, it's a team battle. If you can pull yourselves together now, there's still a chance."

"Really?"

"We'll crush that rock-like guy, no matter what!"

Bureun and Marta clenched their fists so hard they creaked. The trainees' eyes began to shine again.

"Your eyes are still alive."

Raon nodded, seeing the burning passion in the trainees' eyes.

"Then, I'll tell you how to win."