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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“…I lost.”
My opponent, exhausted, muttered his defeat.
The examiner raised his hand, signaling the end of the match.
After another quick bout, which I easily won, the first stage of the examination was finally over.
I sighed.
‘This opponent was just at the average probationary disciple level.’
He hadn’t given up without a fight, knowing that doing so would leave a bad impression, but the outcome was never in doubt.
‘Seol Ah-yeon was a tough opponent. None of the other disciples are particularly noteworthy.’
At least, not in terms of pure skill.
I closed my eyes and bowed my head slightly as a sign of respect.
My opponent chuckled wryly and returned the gesture.
“Then Eun Ha-seong will be the leader of Group 23.”
“Understood.”
“Here, take this.”
The examiner handed me a flag.
I looked at it, puzzled, and asked,
“…Why are you giving me this?”
“It will be useful in the second examination. Keep it safe.”
The examiner, with his expression unchanged, began distributing flags to the other group leaders.
The other leaders, equally bewildered, listened intently as the examiner continued.
“…The second examination is a ‘Contention.’”
“Contention…?”
The examiner cleared his throat.
“There are flags planted at the mountain summit, in addition to the ones I just gave you. Retrieve them. Of course, there are fewer flags at the summit than there are groups. To pass the second examination, a group must return here with at least two flags. Understood?”
“…Yes!”
I nodded slowly, intrigued.
‘So that’s what he meant by Contention.’
The examiner had left out a lot of details.
There would undoubtedly be far fewer flags at the summit than we expected.
That would make the competition fiercer.
And each group needed two flags.
That meant we’d have to fight each other for them.
It was a test of survival of the fittest.
‘With Seol Ah-yeon and me, we shouldn’t fall behind in the competition… but this isn’t an individual test. It’s about cooperation.’
I clicked my tongue.
There might be unforeseen circumstances.
Lost in thought, I gripped the flag and walked over to where my group members were gathered.
“…The examination will begin in an hour. Prepare yourselves.”
The examiner called out behind me.
I ignored him and looked at my group members.
Seol Ah-yeon still seemed a bit shaken, and the other two members looked dejected, probably from their losses in the first examination.
‘And I hate being a leader…’
I sighed briefly.
Even in my previous life, I always avoided leadership roles in group projects.
Seol Ah-yeon, noticing my expression, frowned and asked,
“Do you have a plan?”
“…Not really.”
“Then what are you going to do when the examination starts?”
“…”
I stared at her silently.
She blushed slightly and asked,
“W-what, what?!”
“…Do you have a plan?”
“No, not really, but…”
“Then just stay quiet. I’m sure the others will do the same.”
“…”
She pouted and fell silent.
She was probably still upset about losing to me earlier.
I didn’t care.
I sighed and said,
“…Just follow my lead.”
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The second examination began.
Due to Mount Hua’s treacherous terrain, no one started at full speed.
Even so, an air of tension hung between the groups.
‘Of course. We’re all competing for the same thing.’
I thought as I climbed the steep path.
The Mount Hua Sect buildings were already small in the distance.
I paused to admire the view, then clicked my tongue at the groans coming from behind me.
“Huff… huff…”
“S-So tired…!”
My group members were struggling.
Seol Ah-yeon, thanks to her prior training and higher internal energy, seemed relatively fine.
The other two, however, were clearly out of their depth.
They were already exhausted.
‘Meanwhile, I’m still full of energy.’
I still had plenty of stamina left.
The reason I wasn’t tired, even after two consecutive matches, was simple.
‘Good thing I kept up with those morning runs. I never imagined they’d be so useful.’
I grinned.
My stamina, built up through months of running, allowed me to easily navigate the rough terrain.
My group members stared at me with wide, exhausted eyes.
I urged them on.
“Hurry up. We have a long way to go.”
“M-Monster…”
One of them muttered.
Monster wasn’t exactly a compliment, but the word stuck with me.
I waited for them to catch up, then started walking again.
Step, step
“Ugh…!”
“I-I can’t…”
Time passed.
I finally reached the area just below the summit, practically dragging my exhausted group members along.
I took a deep breath.
Even Seol Ah-yeon’s confident expression had faltered.
‘It’s pretty high up.’
As I breathed in the crisp mountain air, I spotted the flags.
They were planted in the only patch of dirt on the rocky summit.
‘Looks like we’re the first.’
I glanced around.
There was no sign of any other groups.
“Around twenty flags.”
I murmured.
There were two hundred probationary disciples in this intake.
Divided into groups of four, that meant there were about fifty groups.
As expected, there were significantly fewer flags.
Frankly, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of failing this stage, so I casually walked towards the flags. Then—
“…You’re the one who defeated Ah-yeon?”
“…!”
I whirled around towards the source of the voice.
A young man with a sharp, handsome face stood there.
Judging by his Daoist robes, he was from the Mount Hua Sect.
I gave him a puzzled look.
He seemed to realize something and let out a soft gasp.
“Ah… I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m just an examiner. Making sure each group can take one flag.”
“…You’re observing us.”
“Well, something like that…”
He smiled faintly.
I had no idea who he was.
‘…I don’t think he’s one of the second-generation disciples I know.’
I narrowed my eyes.
Unlike the other second-generation disciples, who wore white robes, he was dressed in black.
He seemed amused by my puzzled expression and grinned.
“I enjoyed your match. That swordsmanship, reminiscent of plum blossoms… impressive.”
“Thank you… Would it be rude to ask your name?”
“Hmm? My name?”
He shrugged.
“No reason not to tell you. I’m Mu-yeong. Though some call me the Thunder Sword Dragon.”
“…!”
My eyes widened in recognition.
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A named character