Chapter 26: The Final Trial (2)
Keldric, urging me to choose him as my sparring opponent in the final trial.
His gleaming eyes were hard to ignore, but I had to think realistically.
Accepting Keldric’s proposal in my current situation was nothing short of foolish.
No matter how optimistically I tried to spin it, it was an absurd idea.
There was no reason to face Keldric.
If I chose an opponent I could easily defeat, I’d take their 10P and secure first place in the
Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
But if I fought Keldric?
If I lost, I’d hand over the first-place spot to him.
Of course, if I won, it’d be a clean victory.
But Keldric was Third-Rank, maybe even beyond that.
Meanwhile, I was still Second-Rank.
Through my bloodline, I could channel Mana to every part of my body to maximize my physical abilities, but so could Keldric.
Could I really defeat Keldric, who could manipulate the very airflow around him with Mana?
Even though a fight’s outcome isn’t determined solely by rank, I had witnessed Keldric’s prowess in the maze.
His fists were solid, overpowering the enemies within.
I had seen firsthand just how strong he was.
Despite my confidence up until now, I couldn’t guarantee victory against Keldric.
I asked curtly,
“Why should I fight you, Keldric-nim?”
“Come on, Captain! Let’s have a match! If there’s something you want, I’ll give it to you. I’ve got plenty of money and gear!”
Of course you do. You’re the young master of District 1.
But I wasn’t exactly short on money either.
I had received a fortune from District 9 and was set to receive more support in the future.
“I’ve got plenty of money too.”
“Then what should I give you…?”
Ugh, I really want to fight you, Captain.
Keldric muttered to himself, genuinely eager to spar with me.
Whether he simply wanted to test his strength against mine or flip the rankings at the last moment, I couldn’t tell.
But his eyes showed no cunning.
They only sparkled with pure desire.
‘Why is he so desperate to fight me?’
Now I was the one growing curious.
Why was Keldric so intent on fighting me?
“Why do you want to fight me?”
“Just… because you seem like the strongest person my age I’ve ever seen.”
Keldric answered in a noticeably deflated tone.
But the blow landed on someone else.
Soler, who had been lingering nearby, froze in place.
Apparently, those words weren’t exactly pleasing to the noble lady from District 3.
But Keldric paid no mind to the gazes around him.
“Captain! Even if I beat you, I’ll hand over first place to you! I swear. I just want to fight you.”
“The Council of Elders would hardly approve.”
“Ugh, I guess you’re right…”
Keldric was transparent with his intentions.
Perhaps because he had said all he wanted to, I found myself speaking my mind as well.
Strangely, it felt relieving.
Since being born into this world, I rarely had the chance to reveal my true thoughts.
As a child, I kept quiet to hide my unique trait, the Dragon Heart.
During the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, I acted cautiously to avoid causing trouble for Tayon, who had given me the Special Recommendation.
But with Keldric approaching me so openly, I somehow wanted to meet his sincerity with my own.
“Haha, now that I think about it, you’re right, Captain! So, who should I fight then? Balan? Soler?”
Perhaps because our conversation was intriguing, a fair number of people had gathered around.
When Keldric looked at Balan, he immediately shook his head.
“No thanks. I have no interest in fighting you.”
‘I haven’t even spoken a word to him. He’s quite the cold character.’
Balan was always considered one of the top contenders for this Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
But we had never crossed paths.
As a dejected Keldric turned toward Soler, I called out to him.
“Keldric-nim.”
It was clearly a losing proposition.
But deep within me, the competitive spirit I had been suppressing was starting to boil.
The sense of accomplishment I felt when overcoming what seemed impossible in the maze.
I wanted to feel that again.
“Yeah, Captain! What’s up?”
But I had no hobby of making losing deals.
I thought of Adjak.
The reason Adjak could gather countless expedition members was simple:
- I’ll help you. So, when I need you, help me once in return.
By helping others without hesitation, he forged strong bonds.
As a result, countless individuals from all races joined his final expedition against the Demon King.
This time, I would use that approach.
‘But just once is too small.’
I looked straight into Keldric’s eyes and asked,
“If I spar with you and win, will you help me three times in the future when I need you?”
* * *
At the spire in Chilgong Fortress,the elders of the Adjak family were still gathered.
“Finally, that tedious third trial is over. It would’ve been more interesting if we could’ve seen inside the maze.”
“If you’re that curious, why didn’t you go into the maze yourself?”
Childish banter exchanged in deep voices.
But despite the triviality of their words, these were important figures in the Adjak Autonomous Region.
Each elder held significant authority in governing the region.
“By the way, that kid Tayon gave the Special Recommendation to is still in first place, isn’t he?”
“Indeed. We did quite a bit of research on Adjak-nim… so we should know how this final trial will unfold.”
The elders projected a video crystal onto one wall, observing the sparring arena where the final trial was taking place.
At the center of the arena stood Tayon, the lowest-ranking of the Twelve Swords of Adjak.
Originally tasked only with overseeing the ceremony, Tayon had stepped into the arena to personally conclude this year’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
The elders welcomed it.
Considering the weight of this ceremony, marking 300 years since Adjak’s disappearance, it was fitting for Tayon to close it.
The elders watched as the matchups for the next trial were decided one by one.
One elder muttered with great interest,“The first match is already quite intriguing.”
“Indeed. The current first and second place facing off.”
“Yes, this is the kind of match worthy of the talent we’ve prepared a gift for.”
“Speaking of the final reward, hasn’t the negotiation with the dragons been finalized yet?”
“Ha, that negotiation is part of the winner’s responsibility.”
“…You’re as sloppy as ever.”
The elders’ chatter gradually quieted.
They had noticed the presence of Hike, the dragon, silently watching the screen.
Everyone began focusing on the display.
The first match, signaling the start of the final trial.
Keldric and Polarin stepped into the center of the sparring arena.
* * *
I walked into the arena holding a wooden longsword.
Keldric approached from the opposite side.
Keldric was empty-handed, wielding no weapon.
But his fists were more threatening than any weapon, so I didn’t let my guard down.
I steeled myself.
Keldric’s demeanor had changed.
The carefree guy from moments ago was gone, replaced by a sharp, sword-like presence that dominated the surroundings.
Tayon, observing us, handed each of us a small bead.
“The rule is simple. The one who breaks their opponent’s bead first wins.”
Tayon placed another bead between his thumb and forefinger.
With a slight application of force—
Crack.
The bead shattered, and a dark red liquid, like blood, burst out.
“As you can see, breaking the bead doesn’t require much strength.”
“….”
“You’re free to hide the bead wherever you want. It’s sticky, so it’ll stay wherever you place it unless something extreme happens.”
With that, Tayon walked out of the arena.
Keldric placed his bead on his left palm and closed his fist.
He fought with his fists alone. Placing the bead in such a dangerous spot was bold.
Even for someone at Third-Rank, capable of emitting Mana, it wasn’t an easy choice.
Keldric would have to constantly shape a thick layer of Mana to protect the bead during our fight.
‘Where would be the safest place to attach it?’
Even if I kept the bead within my Intangible Armor, it likely wouldn’t break easily.
But I didn’t want to win that way.
‘I’ll do what I’m capable of.’
I showed Keldric my bead and attached it to the center of my chest.
If his fist reached my chest, it’d be no different from facing death.
I would treat this spar as a real battle.
Though no one instructed us, Keldric and I bowed to each other in respect.
Then, we charged at each other simultaneously.
BOOM!
Keldric’s Mana-infused fist collided with my sword, producing a deafening explosion.
Keldric immediately extended his other hand.
Even without the acceleration ability from the maze’s relic, his attacks were plenty fast.
Thud—Thud—BOOM!
Each of Keldric’s blows made the hand gripping my sword tremble.
Holding the sword with both hands, I defended against his relentless onslaught.
I consciously absorbed the impacts to avoid letting them reach my chest, blocking and blocking again.
Even when Keldric abruptly changed the direction of his punches, I focused solely on defense.
[Rush], [Intangible Armor], [Wings of Ainsitel].
As if by mutual agreement, neither Keldric nor I used our Tunes.
We poured everything into this fight—our training, experience, and raw strength, excluding Tunes.
The spar was overwhelmingly in Keldric’s favor.
He aimed to break through head-on, relentlessly pressing me to exploit the moment my defense faltered.
A single allowed hit could shatter the bead.
Each punch was so heavy that finding an opening to counterattack was no easy task.
But I would create the flow.
Crack!
Keldric’s fist struck my left shoulder directly.
No, I let it hit.
I released my left hand from the sword’s grip.
With one hand, I couldn’t withstand Keldric’s heavy blows.
Twisting my body, I offered my left shoulder.
Keldric moved to follow with his next attack.
But he had already entered deep into my range.
My shoulder, struck directly, was pushed back, twisting my body.
Yet, one hand still gripped the sword, which I swung.
Whoosh!
My sword sliced through the air above Keldric’s head.
But the real fight began now.
I would seize the flow.