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My fist throbs and aches.
I must have hit it too hard; I think there's a small crack in the bone.
It was my first time hitting a solid stone slab with my bare fists, so it was bound to happen.
I lacked the technique.
Anyway.
Crack, crack.
Even after I retracted my fist, the sound of marble splitting continued.
Thud, crash. Crash.
Slabs broke off one by one and fell to the ground.
Nubes was startled and grabbed Bellum's shoulder.
"Ouch! That hurts! You big oaf!"
"Do you see that, Bellum? Davian just broke more than ten slabs!"
"I see it too! Let go of my shoulder! It hurts!"
"Ah, sorry. I unknowingly tensed up."
Nubes' muscles had tightened involuntarily as he watched Davian's display of breaking.
"Amazing... Davian. I didn't know he was this strong. Shouldn't Davian have participated in the arm-wrestling match back then?"
"Hey, big guy. How many of those do you think you could break?"
"Back in the day, maybe six or seven? I don't know now. I think I could break more, though."
"When is 'back in the day'?"
"Before entering the academy."
"Sigh, you big oaf. You're definitely strong."
Nubes shook his head.
"I thought so too, but now I see that's not the case."
Thump.
The last marble slab fell to the ground.
It hadn't fallen, but the next slab also had cracks all over it.
Students everywhere were pointing and counting the broken marble slabs.
"How many did he break?"
"One, two, three... Twenty slabs!"
"Twenty slabs? Isn't Rex's record today four slabs?"
"He broke five times more."
"Are we lucky or unlucky to be in the same year as someone like that?"
"The difference is so big that I don't even feel competitive."
"I heard it's the same for the magic students."
Professor Stella approached Davian.
"Impressive, Davian. I think this is the first time you've shown your external force. When did you train so much?"
Before Davian could answer.
Stella waved her hand.
"Never mind. It's funny for me to ask you that. Your fist is swollen. Is it broken?"
"I think it's slightly cracked."
"Is this your first time breaking things?"
"Yes."
"When you build up external force, your durability increases, so you won't get hurt from most impacts. But you must remember that your strength also increases. If you don't want to get hurt like today, you need to understand the limits of what your body can withstand and the limits of the strength you can exert."
He had learned to reduce his power so that his sword wouldn't break from the impact of clashing swords.
But this was the first time he had heard such an explanation related to external force.
Davian nodded.
"Thank you, Professor Stella."
"Go to the infirmary and get treated. After that, we'll start the swordsmanship assessment."
"It's okay."
"It's okay? Your fist is swollen?"
Professor Stella grabbed Davian's hand, and her eyes widened.
Stella kept manipulating the hand she was holding, examining it.
"It was swollen just a moment ago?"
Today, as he allocated points to external force, the 'Blessing of Hydrus' skill level rose again.
Even when the level was only 4, it had caught the eye of the infirmary teacher, Medium.
Now, it was at a stage where it wouldn't be strange to see him display a recovery power that was hard to believe was human.
"I don't think it was cracked. I think my muscles were just surprised and swollen."
Nonsense.
"Muscles were surprised and swollen?"
"Anyway, I don't think my bone is injured, so I'll take the swordsmanship assessment right away."
Only then did Stella release Davian's hand and nod.
"Alright, Davian. But rest a little. I'll talk to the judges and tell them to start the assessment in 10 minutes. We also need to clean up the marble slabs you broke."
"Yes, Professor."
After Stella walked to the judging panel.
Davian mentally commanded 'Skill Status'.
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[Current Skills]
―Blessing of Hydrus Lv.28
―Eye to the Sword Path Lv.39
―<Advanced>Festival of Fire Lv.8
―Shadow Walk Lv.16
=====
Next month, he would be able to take Medium's 'Recovery Skill Buff Potion'.
An item that could be taken twice a year.
Each time it was taken, it increased the level of recovery and regeneration skills.
And if he took it all 10 times, he could evolve the 'Blessing of Hydrus' skill into an advanced skill.
'It's already like this, I wonder what will change if it evolves into an advanced skill.'
He wanted to check it out right away.
But it would take 5 years to take it 10 times.
'I should ask Teacher Medium later if it's possible to shorten the interval between taking it.'
While Davian was checking his skill levels, his friends gathered around him.
"What are you spacing out about? Davian."
"Oh, Bonita. No, I was just thinking about something."
Bonita looked at the marble slabs that the staff were cleaning up.
"Impressive, huh? Since when were you so strong? And you have such a slender body."
Bellum picked up Davian's right hand and examined it.
"Is your fist okay? Huh? It's fine. It's perfectly fine."
Bellum quickly dropped Davian's hand.
"What exactly are you? Davian. Magic, swordsmanship, now strength and defense. Are you going to do everything yourself?"
How did she know?
Judging panel.
One of the judges was intently watching Davian, who was surrounded by his friends.
Gaspar Marlon.
The current president of the Alcancia Kingdom's Swordsmanship Association.
Former swordsmanship instructor of the 2nd Royal Guard.
He had completely retired from active service since taking on the role of president of the Swordsmanship Association.
'It's been a while. I've met a guy who makes my heart race... Or is it? Is this the first time I've seen someone like him?'
He had already received several reports about Davian Norn earlier.
That's what the president of the Swordsmanship Association was.
He didn't even have enough time to review reports and documents all day.
If he had known that the Swordsmanship Association was such a boring place, he wouldn't have taken the position.
Davian Norn's name had recently appeared frequently in the materials he was receiving.
A freshman at Elton Academy who was double-majoring.
He stopped the war between Arond and the Byzantine County.
He recently won a duel against the 7-star swordsman Leonel Specula.
Of course, he used magic and even summoned spirits, so his swordsmanship wasn't at a level that surpassed a 7-star swordsman.
And.
The places that were coveting him now.
The Magic Tower.
The Royal Magic Department.
The Royal Guard.
Each famous knight order.
'An incredible talent. A talent that Alcancia Kingdom will never have again.'
Gaspar had also wondered.
Where would it be most beneficial for the best talent, excelling in all areas, to go?
But even after thinking for a long time, it was not easy to come to a conclusion.
Eventually.
'It's not like things will go that way just because I come to a conclusion.'
He said.
Someone would take him anywhere.
And he would show the best performance.
The only concern was that the behind-the-scenes scouting competition was becoming more heated than expected, even though he was only a freshman.
There was talk of the Swordsmanship Association also participating in Davian's recruitment.
But Gaspar's thoughts were different.
'We can't keep such a talented person in a place like this, just looking at documents or creating swordsmanship textbooks.'
Even today, as he left the association for the Elton Academy promotion exam, some association executives said.
He had to bring Davian Norn to the Swordsmanship Association.
That was the only way the currently insignificant association could be revived.
Gaspar nodded perfunctorily and left the association.
Although he was the president of the Swordsmanship Association.
He still had the burning emotions he had felt in the field intact.
'The Swordsmanship Association is not the place for Davian to come. The place Davian should go is the field.'
While thinking about this and that, the 10-minute break ended.
Davian slowly walked up onto the training arena.
'I've seen his inner and outer strength. Now, should I see his swordsmanship skills? They say he's quite good.'
In fact, he didn't have high expectations.
He had also been influenced by seeing Bonita Fortis' swords dance, which was good enough to pass any rank promotion exam, regardless of how many stars.
He had already received several reports on Davian's swordsmanship skills.
He had amazing skills compared to the length of time he had held a sword.
But he wasn't at the level of surpassing the active seniors like Bonita from before.
Now it was a 5-star grade assessment.
Inner and physical ability assessments had already been passed.
But it was questionable whether he could display swordsmanship befitting a 5-star swordsman.
Since it was his first promotion exam, he could receive a 4-star or 3-star rating depending on the swordsmanship he showed.
'Show me. Davian Norn. Whether your swordsmanship is 3-star or 4-star.'
Davian, who had stepped onto the training arena, alternately shook his wrists one by one.
Then, he gently grasped the sword with both hands.
'I have to do my best.'
He knew that he would be able to pass the 5-star assessment since he could check his internal and external force with the numbers on the status screen.
But if he slipped up on the swordsmanship assessment, he could receive a 4-star rating.
'There's no way I'll get a 3-star.'
Not only were there rewards for the promotion exam quest.
Davian was especially focused on the achievement quest.
Majesty stat +15.
It was a reward he couldn't miss.
He looked at the old man sitting in the judging panel.
A shining light was pouring out onto Davian.
'I have to make a good impression on that old man. If I want to get the majesty stat.'
He had no intention of joining the Swordsmanship Association or whatever it was.
But he had to receive a scout offer.
He recalled the swords dance that Bonita had shown earlier.
The training arena and Bonita's appearance were erased.
Only the lines at the tip of the sword, which were thick and thin, dark and light, fast and slow, were vividly floating in his head.
'I can't just display that.'
It wouldn't be polite to Bonita.
And it wouldn't work on that old man with the fierce eyes who was doing something like the president of the Swordsmanship Association.
He would just be a student who copied the swords dance.
To be recognized by the president of the Swordsmanship Association.
And to express his gratitude to Bonita, who had generously shown him her swordsmanship.
'Then in my own way.'
Whoosh.
Davian's sword concisely cut through the air.
Clean movement.
"What?"
"What is he doing?"
"This isn't the time to be showing something like that?"
"Still, Davian's swordsmanship has improved a lot, hasn't it? Why is he suddenly like this?"
The students were buzzing.
What Davian showed was.
The basics of the basics.
A diagonal downward slash.
Whoosh.
Once again.
The same diagonal downward slash.
"Why is he really like this?"
"Is he nervous?"
"Nervous? Davian?"
"But why is he like that? He's not that unskilled."
Whoosh.
Another of the same movements.
Only after repeating that six or seven times.
Davian's left foot moved.
"Oh, was that a warm-up? I guess he's going to do something now."
"Where should we look? Davian's real swordsmanship skills."
Whoosh.
This time, a vertical slash.
Whoosh.
One more time.
Whoosh.
Again.
"No, what is he really doing?"
"It's not like he's learning swordsmanship for the first time, why is he like that?"
"Is there something he doesn't like? Like our kingdom's swordsmanship ranking system. Is he sending a silent protest?"
"Well. Davian might do that. Everyone here knows that he's not the type to show such absurd swordsmanship."
The same vertical slash was repeated.
Bonita Fortis's eyes widened as she watched.
"Davian, that bastard..."
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