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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Allen Blake? That person?”
“He looks much younger than I thought.”
“I heard he hasn’t shown his face until now. What’s going on?”
The arena buzzed with chatter. The commotion was far greater than for any of the other heroes who had appeared so far.
[Yes, Allen Blake, ranked 100th among heroes. Is that correct?]
I nodded.
“But why is he here? He’s not at the age of retirement, and he’s not a graduate of the Hero Academy, is he?”
“No, I heard he’s just a country bumpkin from Basil. He’s probably just here to watch because he’s bored.”
“Is that so? Well, he became a High-ranking Hero at such a young age. He has plenty of time to relax. I’m envious.”
My image was being distorted rapidly. But there was no need to correct it. It was bothersome, and I preferred being underestimated to being overestimated.
[Then, I’d like to ask the heroes who volunteered earlier to raise their hands again.]
The heroes who had lowered their hands after being called upon raised them again. But their gazes were now fixed on me.
Some heroes who had raised their hands earlier didn’t raise them this time.
‘That’s to be expected.’
With me as a volunteer, the candidate pool narrowed considerably. Since even Hugo, who was ranked higher than me, had raised his hand, there was practically no chance for the lower-ranked heroes.
Winning or losing aside, the opportunity to cross swords with a High-ranking Hero wasn’t common.
“Hugo or Allen Blake.”
“Based on rank, Hugo is more likely, but personally, I’m more curious about Allen. We don’t know anything about him other than that he took down three Demon Lords.”
“That’s true. Just how strong is he to have taken down three Demon Lords? He doesn’t look that impressive.”
They had narrowed down the candidates to Hugo and me.
[Now, it’s time for Yuseora to choose her opponent.]
Yuseora turned her head and pretended to scan the audience. She wasn’t very talented at acting, so I had to coach her for the past few weeks.
Thanks to that, she had improved, but there were still some awkward aspects.
‘Or not.’
Her gaze towards Hugo seemed quite genuine. I was thinking about having Elsie coach her acting next time, but perhaps my guidance was enough. However…
‘Isn’t that enough?’
No, at this point, it was more accurate to say it wasn’t acting. The proof was in the shape of her mouth.
Sky Cutter.
At that moment, I realized. She was currently in a state of overconfidence. She was clearly caught up in a pointless internal conflict about whether she could beat Hugo.
‘Oh dear.’
Of course, Yuseora was aware of the plan. The outcome of that conflict was predetermined. But I wanted to be more certain.
There was only one way.
I turned my gaze towards Hugo, not Yuseora. Hugo, who seemed to be aware of me, also turned to look at me.
‘Please.’
I bowed my head politely. I couldn’t guarantee that he would comply. But knowing Hugo, it was more likely that he would.
‘He would also want to check my skills.’
It was true that having a match against a candidate was a rare opportunity. But it wouldn’t be as valuable as confirming the skills of the veiled Allen Blake.
Especially for someone like him, who valued martial prowess.
‘As expected.’
He lowered his hand. Yuseora’s gaze naturally returned to me.
“Did Hugo just give up?”
“Whatever the reason, it’s good for us if we can see Allen Blake’s skills.”
“Maybe Hugo wanted to see Allen Blake fight as well?”
Thanks to Hugo’s concession, there was now a plausible reason for Yuseora to choose me, ranked lower than Hugo.
‘But that was acting just now, right?’
I smiled at Yuseora. At that moment, her complexion changed subtly. It seemed like I needed to clarify this matter with her later.
‘After I finish this first.’
This was the main event. What would begin now was a match between Yuseora and Allen Blake. In other words, a staged performance.
‘We practiced this for weeks.’
We had to deceive not just anyone, but former and current heroes. Among them, we especially had to fool Heinz Armanus, the principal and former high-ranking hero.
For that, a half-hearted performance wouldn’t do.
‘Of course, it would mostly be Yuseora going all out while I adjust.’
Still, we needed to coordinate as much as possible beforehand. Even I had difficulty handling Yuseora’s attacks. We had sparred and practiced in the trial space at least hundreds of times.
‘It’s time to show the results.’
What I was about to do would be impossible without that practice.
I jumped down from the audience seats into the arena and looked around. I felt even more nervous than when I participated in the competition as Seo Yoo Rang.
‘Well, the stakes are different.’
Back then, it was okay to lose, but this time, I couldn’t. What did I mean?
This was Yuseora’s debut match, and also Allen Blake’s.
‘Since I’ve already bluffed about going to the Central Archipelago, it’s better to make them aware of me.’
I couldn’t let them underestimate me. I had to show them that I was someone to be reckoned with, without revealing my full power.
And the show for that had just begun.
‘First, the weapon…’
I drew a sword from my inventory. A slightly light but sturdy, ordinary 1-star relic with no special effects other than containing divine power. Most of the heroes here would probably recognize it.
‘It’s a sword that can be borrowed from the church branch once you become a hero candidate.’
At the Pathfinder level, they could only borrow bracelets, but as a hero candidate, this sword was available for loan. There was a rental fee, of course.
Anyway, I brought this common sword so that they wouldn’t think my skills were reliant on equipment.
And as I intended, the audience was already buzzing.
“Isn’t that sword insulting to the candidate?”
“He must be confident. Let him be.”
Of course, I was confident. I had practiced this countless times. Ignoring the chatter, I stood in front of Yuseora. Come to think of it, this was the first time I faced Yuseora as Allen Blake, not Seo Yoo Rang.
Then, naturally, I should greet her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Hero Allen Blake.”
I saw a slight twitch at the corner of Yuseora’s lips. I knew it was difficult, but I hoped she would bear with it. Fortunately, it soon turned into a natural smile.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Hero Candidate Yuseora.”
Her smile looked so natural. Considering that Yuseora didn’t usually smile as much as Elsie, it was almost unnatural. But it looked much better.
“Then, I look forward to our match.”
It felt like we were really meeting for the first time. For Yuseora, Seo Yoo Rang was probably more familiar, so this appearance of mine must have been unfamiliar.
But as I made eye contact with her, I didn’t sense any discomfort from her.
“Likewise.”
Yuseora was just her usual self. Perhaps I was the only one making a fuss.
Then all that was left was the match.
[Then, we will begin the match under the Challenger Rule.]
The countdown began. Yuseora took her stance, preparing to attack as soon as the match started. The energy of Overload began to gather around her sword again.
‘It’s still terrifying.’
It was terrifying even in the trial space, but feeling it directly in reality was a different experience. It was certainly enough to make her opponent turn pale and forfeit.
And that judgment was correct.
‘The actual power matches what it feels like.’
Or perhaps it was even greater.
That’s why I, too, steeled my resolve and raised my sword. It wasn’t easy for me to withstand Yuseora’s attack with a 1-star relic.
‘And Yuseora’s swordsmanship has also improved compared to before.’
Thanks to my guidance, she was able to put more power into her sword. And above all, she had gained conviction.
Now, even I would have difficulty blocking it without retrieving Gravitus Replicant. If it weren’t for the weeks we spent practicing and coordinating in the trial space.
[Three, two…]
I had already enveloped my sword with Wind Authority. Something invisible to the naked eye. That was one of the advantages of Wind Authority.
‘Then next is…’
Overload. But this was a technique I wanted to keep hidden personally. If I were to reveal it, it would be as Seo Yoo Rang.
‘I didn’t use it against Wilhelm because that match was just about landing a hit…’
But I needed this to block Yuseora’s strike with a 1-star relic. For that, I needed one more device.
‘Optical Modulation.’
Since I was currently in Allen Blake’s form, I had some leeway with the Optical Modulation I usually used on my face. And as long as I didn’t make it completely transparent like Elsie, it was enough to conceal the Overload on my sword.
With Optical Modulation applied to my sword, all preparations were complete.
[One… Start!]
The signal for the start of the match sounded. At the same time, the space where Yuseora stood distorted slightly.
‘What monstrous strength.’
Reaching the realm of space with swordsmanship. In my case, I could forcefully expand my attack range using Wind Authority, and Elsie could mimic it by extending her Optical Modulation with amplified magical power.
I still didn’t know how Libero did it, though.
‘But to distort space with just pure strength…’
It was an overwhelming sight. It wasn’t called the strongest enhancement skill for nothing.
But I wasn’t just standing there dumbfounded.
‘One beat faster.’
I couldn’t block that attack with a 1-star relic if I moved at the same time. This was something I learned through numerous trials and errors in the trial space.
I was already moving before I even observed the distortion caused by Yuseora’s sword.
‘Overload.’
I applied Overload to the 1-star relic I was holding. This would break the relic after a single use, but for that one time, it would become quite sturdy.
Now, all I had to do was block Yuseora’s attack. But there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated.
“Sky Cutter!”
An unexpected line flew from across the arena. No, actually, I had anticipated it to some extent, but I had hoped it wouldn’t happen. Because at that moment, my concentration wavered slightly.
‘I’ll die if I mess this up.’
That was my first thought. But regardless of that thought, my body moved on its own to survive. Thanks to the weeks of practice.
Crack.
The attack flew, tearing through the space between Yuseora and me. Fortunately, I was able to bring my sword to meet it. The sword threatened to shatter instantly.
‘Not enough acceleration yet.’
It was painful even to breathe because of the fragments scattering from Yuseora’s strike. But it was all within my calculated range.
Even in that precarious moment, I maintained the acceleration from Wind Authority.
‘Just a little more…!’
It was a coordinated move, calculated and practiced. But in this situation, with my life depending on a 1-star relic, I couldn’t help but pray.
And at that moment, finally…
‘Yes!’
Yuseora’s strike stopped. While powerful, the attack itself wasn’t particularly fast, so entering the realm of time wasn’t difficult. The danger came from having to do it with a 1-star relic.
‘What’s left is…’
I focused all my nerves and began to neutralize Yuseora’s strike. The 1-star relic was rapidly being torn apart, and I had to carefully shift the angle of the sword, starting from the tip, to absorb the impact.
Crack, crackle.
Of course, I had practiced this countless times. But it was still difficult no matter how many times I did it.
Sweat poured down like rain in that short interval, and the breath I had taken before entering the realm of time quickly ran out.
‘But it’s almost done.’
Finally, the last vestiges of Yuseora’s strike grazed against the guard of my sword. A small spark flew. That was the end.
‘It’s still not easy even after so much practice.’
I caught my breath, standing at the end of the massive scar Yuseora’s attack had carved into the ground. And that scar ended exactly at my feet.
Only the messy imprints of my footsteps remained on the ground; behind me, there was no damage.
‘Though there’s no way it could fail.’
Feeling a tingling sensation, I dropped the sword, now just a hilt.
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