Chapter 64

Marta Sieghart ran forward, thinking about the instructions she had heard from Laon.

-Your compatibility with the defensive sword barrier is not good. It's best to change your opponent.

‘Absolutely not!’

She immediately cursed at the suggestion to run away from her opponent. Laon, unfazed, nodded as if he had expected this.

-Then I'll give you a different order. Break the sword barrier.

-The sword barrier?

-Your opponent's sword barrier is not perfect. It can't be, given their level as trainees.

-How is it not perfect?

-They condensed the aura of nine people to block you. This means there is movement of aura within the sword barrier.

-Then...

-Yes. If you exploit that gap, you can break the sword barrier even with your current strength, which has been greatly depleted.

A shiver ran down her spine at his words.

‘What is this guy?’

To be able to identify the enemy's weakness from a seated position and come up with a strategy—what kind of monster is this?

-I want to win head-on, not by exploiting weaknesses.

Her words, different from her thoughts, slipped out, unwilling to be overwhelmed by Laon's presence.

-Right. If you regain your stamina and aura, you might win. You are outstanding. But right now?

She couldn't answer. With her stamina and aura depleted, she couldn't think of a way to defeat those physical monsters.

-As I said, this is not a one-on-one duel but a team battle. Choose. Will you choose your pride for an uncertain victory or the team's victory?

Marta stood up without a word after hearing this.

‘In the past, I would have ignored such words.’

Before her defeat by Laon, when she was brimming with self-confidence, she would have continued fighting no matter what the kid said.

But after experiencing one defeat, and possibly facing a second, it was better to win somehow rather than lose.

‘Dun, right?’

She saw Dun, whom she had fought earlier, from a distance. His rock-solid aura was still there. She wanted to shatter him with a punch, but she gritted her teeth and held back.

"Did you come knowing you couldn't win? You're stupid."

"Watch your mouth, or you'll get hurt."

Like in the old days.

Marta kicked off the ground and charged at Dun.

"Fourth Brother!"

The trainees behind him gathered around Dun and condensed their aura.

"Ugh!"

Marta didn't strike her raised sword but spread her senses.

She could feel the aura of the six training ground trainees converging on Dun.

‘They really are slow.’

Just as Laon said. The larger the aura, the slower its movement, like a snail.

"Huff!"

Marta took a deep breath and turned to the right.

"It's useless!"

Dun turned his waist to block her. The same setup as before, but there was a difference.

Marta, who had been striking blindly with her sword, aimed at Dun's right side where the aura had not yet condensed.

Boom!

The swords clashed, creating a powerful shockwave.

The impact pushed Marta back, but the sword barrier formed by Dun and the trainees, which had been as solid as a deeply rooted tree, wavered significantly.

"Gasp!"

"Ugh..."

Dun and the trainees groaned as they struggled to stabilize the wobbling sword barrier.

Marta's eyes gleamed like black pearls.

‘That kid was right.’

Just as Laon said, the defense was clearly weaker where the aura had not yet condensed.

"Is this really the strategy?"

A hollow laugh escaped her.

Was it because the strategy was too easy?

No. It was because Laon Sieghart, who had identified the weakness of the sword barrier from the flagpost, gave her goosebumps.

"Don't get cocky just because you've gained the upper hand once!"

"Once? You're kidding. It's going to be continuous!"

Marta shouted and charged forward.

Pretending to attack, she moved to the left and struck at Dun's lower body where the aura had not moved.

Swoosh!

Dun quickly struck down, but his upper body wobbled, and the trainees forming the sword barrier were pushed aside.

"It's over now!"

Marta, emitting a beast-like aura, charged at the broken sword barrier.

* * *

Varen twisted his wrist holding the sword and looked up.

Decal, one of the top trainees from the collateral line, glared at him with fierce eyes.

‘I lost earlier.’

Decal and seven other trainees had attacked simultaneously, and with his sense-sword technique, there was no way to defeat them.

The difference in numbers meant the other guys couldn't help, and he kept being pushed back.

The plan to take down the fifth training ground was indeed well thought out.

‘I won't just take it this time.’

Retreating once is enough. Even if he falls, he will knock them all down.

"Lord Varen Sieghart running away. I guess there's no business in a group fight."

Decal smirked.

"I hope you will fight like a swordsman until the end this time!"

At his signal, the trainees behind him rushed in like a swarm of rats.

"Huff!"

Decal also charged, aiming his sword at the center.

The eight swords, though not in harmony, each aimed at the weakest points.

"Huff!"

Varen raised his aura and stepped in a fluid motion, using the Flowing Water Step. His sword curved toward Decal on the right.

"Now!"

"Charge!"

The moment Varen's sword extended, the trainees trained in the sense-sword technique rushed in.

But it was a trap set by Varen.

Thud!

The training sword aimed at Decal curved like a crescent moon, striking the wrists and chests of the incoming trainees.

"Gasp!"

"Ah!"

Instantly, two trainees clutched their wrists and chests, rolling on the ground. They were out of the fight.

"Huff!"

Varen's sword didn't stop. Moving with the Flowing Water Step, he struck again with the Manifestation Sword Technique.

Using his entire shoulder in a large motion, three trainees instinctively aimed at the gaps.

‘Got you.’

Varen's blue eyes gleamed. His elbow smoothly curved, striking the chests of the approaching trainees mercilessly.

Thud!

One sword strike sent three trainees flying.

"Gasp!"

"Ugh..."

The one at the end stood up, but the other two were already unconscious.

"Wh-What!"

Decal, who was late to react, found Varen already retreating to the side.

"What the hell! Suddenly mixing in feints!"

"That's what I'm saying."

Varen wrinkled his nose.

‘I didn't expect feints to make such a difference.’

The sense-sword technique relies on instinct, not a system. The incomplete trainees were easily deceived by the feints.

‘But how did he know that?’

Laon hadn't moved from his spot. The goosebumps on his skin were due to the kid's senses and knowledge.

‘Marta must feel the same way.’

Marta, fighting below, would surely have the same thoughts.

‘A guy like an onion.’

Laon shows a different side every time you think you know him. He's a unique kid, like an onion.

"It's not over yet!"

"Huff!"

Decal clenched his teeth and charged. The remaining three trainees also rushed in.

Whoosh!

Varen thrust his sword forward. The power was strong, but the large movements revealed several gaps.

"It's a feint. Ignore it! Huh?"

Decal's eyes widened. He tried to ignore it and advance, but Varen's sword strike trajectory didn't change.

"This time, it's real."

"Wh-What!"

He switched to defense too late.

Boom!

The powerful sword strike sent Decal flying backward, breaking his training sword.

"The battle is already over."

Varen's blue eyes gleamed as he looked at the remaining trainees.

"We won."

With that monster around, the fifth training ground couldn't lose.

* * *

"What is this!"

Metun's eyes bulged as he saw the sixth training ground trainees being pushed back simultaneously.

"What's going on!"

He could understand one place being pushed back, but all three—top, middle, and bottom—were being pushed back. And by opponents they had beaten before.

"I told you. It's not over yet."

Limer, lying beside him, yawned annoyingly.

"What did you do?"

"It wasn't me, but Laon."

"What?"

"Before you saw, Laon gave advice to those guys. It worked well."

"Can the situation change so much with just a trainee's advice?"

"It's not just a trainee, but Laon's advice."

Limer smirked and pointed at Laon, who was guarding the flag alone.

"There are trainees who don't follow Laon and those who dislike him, but everyone trusts his strength and judgment. After today, they'll follow him like the voice of a god."

"Hmm..."

Metun grunted. If true, it meant he was trusted.

More surprising was how his advice was so effectively taken.

"What advice did he give?"

"Curious? If you're curious, give me a gold coin... Ah, never mind."

Limer waved his hand at Metun's stiffened expression.

"First, at the top..."

He told Metun the advice Laon had given to the trainees.

"Insane..."

Metun's fingers trembled.

‘How can a trainee give such advice?’

It was a perfect strategy with no room for improvement.

More astonishing was that he had identified the opponent's weakness from a distance using only his senses.

Limer was right. The arrogant one was himself, not Laon.

He had the right to say he was more talented than Cain.

‘But.’

Metun looked down at Cain, who was starting to move, and smiled confidently.

‘The battle is not over yet.’

* * *

Laon, sitting under the flag, opened his eyes.

‘They're all doing well.’

He had suppressed his presence but kept his senses wide open to monitor the battle, and he smiled.

Varen, who had defeated Decal, was sweeping the sense-sword trainees like a storm, and Marta was smashing the remaining trainees after breaking the sword barrier.

And Lunan was...

Engaged in an ice duel with a top trainee from the sixth training ground.

‘It's fine. He won't lose.’

‘Now, then...’

Laon stood up. As he stretched, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed swordsman appeared from the bushes.

‘Cain Sieghart.’

The chief of the sixth training ground, two years older than himself, revealed himself.

‘I knew this would happen.’

With all directions being pushed back and his presence hidden, there was only one direction for the kid to move.

To capture the opponent's flag.

"Sure enough, you were here. Laon Sieghart."

Cain bit his lip. He didn't look surprised, as if he had expected it.

"I didn't know you could cast magic on trainees. I heard you weren't well-liked, but it seems to be a false rumor."

He slowly drew his sword from his waist.

"But this is where it ends."

"Ends?"

"I heard your aura is fire-based."

As he spoke, a red flame ignited on Cain's sword.

"Unfortunately, my aura is the highest-grade fire-based aura, and my aura quantity is above that of a formal swordsman. In terms of compatibility, you can't win against me."

"Compatibility, huh."

Laon chuckled and drew his sword. The energy of the Flame Blossom Technique, which had dyed his sword blade red, bloomed into a small flower.

Whoosh!

The flame on Cain's sword was much larger, but the intensity of the color was incomparable.

"This family talks a lot before a fight."

Laon declared with eyes the color of flames.

"Come on. I'll show you how a single flame can engulf your fire."