Chapter 236: The Swordsmen Examination (Part 2)

Chapter 236: The Swordsmen Examination (Part 2)



Before them stood an ancient square building, resembling a temple in its design, but without the Doric columns. Eight guards, each armed with a sword and shield, stood at the spacious entrance.

Rain squinted and glanced at the golden characters adorning the gate, which read 'Imperial Swordsmen Mingster Branch'.

As the two approached the gate, a guard stepped forward and asked, "Are you the adults here for the examination? Please show your invitation letter."

After completing the necessary procedures, Rain and Veronica were led to their assigned rooms.

The rooms were adjacent to each other on the second floor, and the faint voices coming from nearby indicated that most of the rooms were occupied by examinees.

With the examination day approaching, Rain and Veronica decided not to explore the capital city of Maestria and instead agreed to do so after the test.

Time passed, and soon it was the morning of the examination.

Around 8:30, Rain and Veronica arrived in a spacious and bright hall.

The floor was covered with rows of long chairs with backrests.

At this moment, there were already twenty to thirty young people scattered around the hall.

The person in charge was a female officer, who, upon seeing Rain and Veronica, said in a clear voice, "Please take a seat, there's no need to be nervous. The order of the examination has nothing to do with where you sit."

Rain nodded and, with a glance at Veronica, they both found a seat in a less crowded corner.

Within minutes of sitting down, a red-haired woman entered the hall and spotted Rain in the corner. She called out, "Rain~" and happily waved at him.

"Hmm?" Rain looked up and recognized Evelyn Norman, the red-haired beauty from Rosby County and daughter of Viscount Norman.

Hearing such a beautiful woman greeting Rain so cheerfully, the hall's occupants turned their attention to Rain, curious to see which talented young man had caught the beauty's eye.

Veronica, sitting beside Rain, looked at him and then at the red-haired beauty, thinking to herself, 'My competition is strong. First Agatha, and now this red-haired beauty. And from their appearances and strengths, they seem to be even more capable than Agatha.'

As Evelyn approached, she smiled and asked, "Rain, when did you arrive?"

"Oh?" Rain looked at the twin-tailed girl beside him, and Evelyn's expression turned serious as she asked, "Evelyn, who is this?"

"Evelyn, this is my good friend, Veronica, a Level 3 Apprentice Wizard from Ulbrack Academy," Rain introduced.

"Veronica, this is Evelyn from Rosby City. We became friends during the noble examination," Evelyn explained.

The two women sized each other up, and Evelyn smiled, saying, "Miss Veronica, you're so pretty!"

"Miss Evelyn, you're also very beautiful," Veronica replied.

Although Rain and Evelyn weren't particularly close, an awkward atmosphere filled the air, so Rain coughed to change the subject. "Evelyn, who are these people?"

Evelyn realized her oversight and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I forgot to introduce them. These are some of the top performers from the noble examination. This is Bridge Sanchez from Valant County, and this is Stamp from Wales County."

Rain nodded politely to each of them. With his strength as a Great Knight and his high mental energy perception, he quickly noticed that they all possessed the power of peak knights.

The only exception was a seasoned knight, whose mental energy fluctuations were unusual, indicating a unique ability. It was hard to say who was stronger between them and the peak knights without a direct comparison.

Just as Evelyn had said, they were indeed the cream of the crop from their batch of noble examinations.

As the time for the examination drew near, more and more young people arrived in the hall.

Half an hour later, as the time approached the designated 9 am start, the number of people in the hall had swelled from the original thirty to nearly ninety.

Among them were several groups with distinct appearances and styles, quite different from Rain and Veronica. One group wore full sets of knight armor, exuding a powerful aura with each step, likely members of the Imperial Army.

Another group consisted of young people in various robes, most likely students from wizard academies like Veronica.

There were also young men and women dressed in tailored noble hunting attire, their distinct auras marking them as children of the capital's high nobility.

The high nobility, or upper nobility, specifically included dukes, marquises, and earls, as Jennifer had previously explained.

Rain also spotted the group of examinees he had encountered by the lakeside.

Interestingly, Evelyn seemed to know one of them.

"Hi, Fiona, it's been a while!" Evelyn smiled and approached.

"Evelyn, long time no see!" Fiona replied.

"Oh, it's you?" The young woman in leather armor recognized Rain as the young man who had been by the lakeside with three beauties.

The other young people also recognized Rain, seemingly surprised that he was a friend of Evelyn's.

However, they showed no desire to approach him, as their impression of Rain wasn't favorable.

It wasn't unusual for noble offspring to be flirtatious, but during the crucial Swordsmen Examination, Rain's association with three beauties labeled him as someone easily distracted by beauty.

Even with his decent talent and the fortunate invitation to the examination, they believed his future prospects were limited.

"Yes, I happened to meet him by Stillwater Lake. Oh, weren't there three of you at the time?" Fiona, clearly, was not one to mince words.

"Don't bring up things that are irrelevant."

Upon hearing Fiona's words, Evelyn's beautiful eyes immediately turned towards Rain, seemingly with a scrutinizing gaze, as if to say, 'Wow, one wasn't enough, and now there are three!'

Rain was momentarily speechless.

However, he wouldn't argue with a girl over this, especially since her intention was likely to keep Evelyn away from a scoundrel.

"The other two went to handle some business matters."

After some pleasantries, Rain learned that they were young people from the previous session of the nobility examination, and their overall strength was slightly higher than his current session.

"Each year, the number of participants in the Swordsmen Examination is around a hundred people."

"The pass rate is about three to four out of ten."

Rain listened quietly, his expression calm.

Seeing Rain's composed demeanor, a young man next to Fiona showed a hint of displeasure, saying, "It seems Sir Rain is quite confident!"

"Confidence? I believe passing the preliminary exam shouldn't be an issue." Rain said earnestly.

Upon hearing Rain's words, the atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment!

Evelyn quickly defused the situation, saying, "Rain, do you know what the Swordsmen Examination will test this year?"

Rain shook his head; he was indeed clear on this point. Lady Jennifer in Myester had very little intelligence regarding the Swordsmen Examination, and the test content was vague.

"Evelyn, do you know?"

Evelyn also shook her head, saying, "I asked around, and last year, it was said that official Swordsmen members came to test us. We just had to endure three minutes in their hands to pass the examination."

"The year before, it was said that under the examiners' lead, we went to exterminate a group of ogre camps, and our combat performance would be scored."

The crowd frowned slightly upon hearing this.

This was troublesome; there was no fixed pattern.

In the distance, the sound of the nine o'clock bell rang.

A middle-aged man in bright silver full-body knight armor strode in with a vigorous stride and a steady, calm aura, clearly at least a Great Knight-level expert.

"First, welcome all imperial elites, to Maestria, to participate in the Swordsmen Examination."

"Since time is precious, I'll keep it brief. The examination has two steps: the first is the draw, and the second is the examination itself."

"Next, we will proceed with the first thing—the draw! Then, I will explain the rules of this examination."

"Additionally, I need to remind you that all of you are rising stars in the empire. Even if you don't pass the Swordsmen Examination, there's no need to be discouraged."

"Other imperial departments and special departments are also here, and they will observe your performance during the examination. I believe most of you will find a suitable stage to showcase yourselves."

"Now, for the first item, please come up one by one to draw."

As the middle-aged Great Knight finished speaking, a young knight beside him stepped forward, inviting everyone to draw in an orderly manner.

Soon, it was Rain's turn.

Rain reached in, took a random card, and opened it for a glance.

The next second, he was stunned.

The crowd couldn't help but look at him with a mix of pity and regret.

Soon, whispers spread among them:

"He's so unlucky, it's number two. Haha, I thought I was unlucky with number three."

"Yes, number two is the unluckiest after number one!"

"I wonder who got number one?"

Despite the whispers, Rain didn't mind.

Since no one knew what the Swordsmen Examination would test today, the first one or two examinees could be said to be paving the way for the rest.

One misstep, and they might be drowned by the unpredictable river.

Basically, after ten or so examinees, the examination situation would be clear, and the examiners wouldn't be too tired. If some special abilities were displayed, it would still catch the examiners' attention.

Of course, there were special cases, like the first and second examinees. Their scores would naturally be lower, even if they exhibited exceptional abilities.

At this moment, there was a slight commotion.

"I'm number one!" someone exclaimed.

"Silence!"

For a moment, everyone looked at the unlucky person with great sympathy.

After everyone finished drawing, the Great Knight continued, "Now, the draw is complete."

"There's only one rule for the examination: the use of one-time wizard scrolls, extraordinary potions, and special weapons is not allowed."

"Of course, if you are a scroll maker or a potion master, you are allowed to use them, but a separate review will be conducted after the examination."

"Now, follow me."

After passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a spacious domed hall. In the center stood a tall black statue, surrounded by iron railings, resembling an indoor colosseum.

Beside them were over a dozen people, seemingly staff members. The five at the front wore black uniforms similar to those of noble hunters, and they held paper and pens, looking like examiners.

The middle-aged Great Knight stepped forward and said to an old man in a dull brown wizard's robe, whose hands were tucked into the wide sleeves of his robe, with a slight bow:

"The examinees have all arrived."

"Then we'll trouble you, Master Madias."

The old man opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them. "No trouble. This year it's the Stone Roll Academy's turn, so it's a good opportunity to see if there are any promising candidates."

Suddenly, he took his hands out of his sleeves. In his right hand was a short, dark staff. He pointed it at the statue in the center of the field and began to murmur a spell.

Ren was surprised as he looked at the old man. Despite the distance of several dozen meters, he could still feel a concentrated and powerful mental energy.

"Crack!"

What was even more astonishing was that the black statue in the center of the field cracked open.

At this moment, everyone realized that the two-story-tall giant statue in front of them was not a lifeless object but a living creature.

"Heavens! It's actually an Obsidian Titan!"

"Is this Swordman Exam going to require us to defeat an Obsidian Titan?"

"This is insane! It's impossible."

Whispers spread through the crowd of examinees.

"Silence!" The middle-aged Great Knight took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

"This year's Swordman Exam requires you to survive for one minute under the Obsidian Titan to pass."

"Even if you don't survive, I hope that every examinee will do their best, as your performance will be recorded by the examiners."

The five middle-aged men in black hunter uniforms, holding quills, began to write rapidly.

This immediately silenced the crowd.

"Number One!" The middle-aged Great Knight shouted loudly.

"Number One! Who is Number One, step forward immediately!"

After calling again, a knight holding a sword and shield walked up, his face long and sorrowful.

He originally planned to give up, but seeing the heads of other imperial departments present, he decided to give it a try. Even if he couldn't join the Swordsmen, other special departments might accept him.

He moved cautiously, circling the Obsidian Titan from a distance.

The Obsidian Titan looked at him and raised both hands. Just as he was wondering what the Titan was doing, a wave of earth energy came, and a round stone appeared in the Titan's raised hands.

"Whoosh!"

A shadow flashed, and the stone shot toward the young man with the sword and shield like a cannonball.

The young man's face turned pale, and he rolled to the side, barely dodging the Obsidian Titan's attack. However, the splintered rocks still hit him, making him look disheveled and battered, with a loud clatter!

The critical point was that this was just the beginning. The Obsidian Titan began to condense more and more round stones in its hands, throwing them at the young man one after another!

"Bang!"

Finally, the young man couldn't dodge in time and had to block with his shield. He was immediately blasted away!

"Duration: eighteen seconds, failed!" a staff member shouted from the side.

The five examiners quickly wrote down notes.

The injured young man was immediately taken to the side for treatment by professional physicians.

"Next! Number Two!" The middle-aged Great Knight looked at the crowd and called out solemnly.

Seeing the Obsidian Titan's towering figure and quick reflexes, everyone felt a sense of foreboding as they watched Rain walk up, almost like watching a 'doomed warrior.'

Facing an Obsidian Titan that was six meters tall and weighed at least several tons, Rain showed no fear, only a hint of excitement.

This wasn't the first time Rain had encountered and fought such a large Extraordinary Creature. Before becoming a Great Knight, he had killed near-shore plesiosaurs and scaly iron-back turtles, among other large and ferocious beasts.

"Give it your all. Even if you don't pass, your performance will be recorded," the middle-aged Great Knight said to Rain as usual.

Rain nodded.

Originally, Rain had planned to hold back a bit, but since he was the second to take the exam, this was a bit annoying.

Without a reference, if he held back and didn't pass, it would be a joke.

"Besides, all out, huh?"

Rain couldn't help but recall the middle-aged Great Knight's words, feeling a bit excited.

Fine, then he would go all out!

After all, since he had upgraded his Shockwave to an Intermediate Technique, he had never fully unleashed it.

Going all out meant activating 'Beyond Limits' and his talent 'Intermediate Gigantic Strength' before using the Intermediate Technique 'Shockwave.' So far, Rain hadn't found a suitable target or place to use this move.

And the Obsidian Titan, with its incredibly hard and massive body, should be a good target.

As Rain walked to the center of the field, he took out his Pig Head Hammer, took a deep breath, and calmly focused on the Obsidian Titan in front of him.

"Hey, Evelyn, what do you think Rain will do?" a young man who came with Evelyn asked, a smile playing on his face.

"From what I see, he seems to be a knight who uses heavy weapons. That would be very disadvantageous against an Obsidian Titan."

"Indeed. The ones who would have the best advantage against an Obsidian Titan would be apprentice wizards who can cast Slow Spell or similar debuffs, followed by agile archers in leather armor, and then sword and shield or hammer and shield knights."

"As for Greatsword Knights or Heavy Hammer Knights, they would be at a significant disadvantage."

"Exactly. A two-handed heavy hammer is even more disadvantageous than a two-handed greatsword. Its weight would affect their mobility and dodging speed."

"The Obsidian Titan's defense is like steel, and the heavy warhammer, a supposed bane against such defenses, has become a burden." One of the examiners thoughtfully analyzes the situation.

"Begin!" The middle-aged knight shouted, signaling the start.

The earth mage, an elderly man, swiftly dissolved the earthen cage, freeing the Obsidian Titan.

As the Titan regained its freedom, it noticed the 'little one' Ren nearby. But in the next moment, the little one disappeared right before its eyes.

"Crack!"

Ren's aura burst forth, his body expanding as he leaped, his heavy knight armor and warhammer feeling weightless.

By the time the Titan reacted, Ren had transformed into a blur, rushing directly towards it.

"He's going on the offensive?"

"He's gone mad!" exclaimed a young man, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Had the second examiner not learned anything from the first's encounter?

Amidst the crowd's exclamations, Ren blinked, and in the next instant, he leaped high into the air, right under the Titan.

His body stretched, taut like a drawn bow, as he channeled his power from his leaping feet through his hips, waist, and back.

Ren unleashed his Intermediate Technique—Shockwave!

At the same time, the Pig Head Hammer, as black as the Titan, struck its chest with a resounding blow!

Ren felt incredibly satisfied with this attack, having unleashed all his power in one go by activating 'Beyond Limits' and 'Intermediate Giant Strength'!

"Boom!"

A bomb-like sound reverberated as a whirlwind of wind blew, scattering black stone fragments!

The Titan's chest now bore a crater-like wound, as if it had been pierced through by the hard and thick hammer.

Even with its tough physique, the Titan staggered back a few steps, its eyes filled with bewilderment, before collapsing!

The crowd, even those observing from a distance, instinctively took a few steps back, shocked by the scene before them.

The once-composed examiners' faces now mirrored their surprise.

"This... this is not normal. Shouldn't the examiners investigate this?" A young man's face reddened as he pointed at Ren.

"Where did this guy come from?" asked a military-minded young man, standing next to a burly companion.

"That attack was incredible, even better than yours!"

"That must be an Intermediate Technique, right? Could he be a Duke's heir, trained from a young age?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

The examiners, now fully alert, were stunned.

They had assigned specific tasks: The first examiner was to assess the test-taker's strength, and without a doubt, Ren's strength in the fight was excellent.

The second examiner was to evaluate speed, and Ren's performance in this area was also excellent.

The third examiner was responsible for technique, and with Ren's use of an Intermediate Technique, he too was excellent.

The fourth examiner, however, was at a loss. How should he grade the test-taker's combat reaction?

After a moment's thought, the fourth examiner looked at his peers, saw their perfect scores, and decided to give a perfect score as well.

After all, the test-taker had directly engaged the Titan, and his combat reaction seemed fine.

The fifth examiner, on the other hand, furrowed his brows. He was to assess combat decision-making, but had the test-taker shown any such decisions?

This was more like a direct charge!

The fifth examiner questioned himself. Was this a normal combat decision?

But, was there a problem?

It didn't seem so.

The fifth examiner pondered for a while, finally concluding that there was no issue.

This test-taker's combat decisions are straightforward, a direct approach. No need for complex strategies."

The examiners were left speechless.

The test had intentionally chosen the Obsidian Giant, a creature with strong defense and attack, to challenge the test-takers to observe its less agile body.

The strategy was to attack its lower body, ankles, and knees, gradually reducing its speed. This could be done with magic or physical attacks.

This was a normal combat decision-making process.

But Ren had directly charged in with a hammer blow, and defeated the Titan.

The combat felt more like a child's play, with no apparent combat decisions.

The fifth examiner questioned himself, "Is there a problem with this?"

There didn't seem to be.

The fifth examiner thought for a while, finally concluding that there was no issue.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end