chapter 6
A two-stage sword technique in which the aura protrudes outside the sword.
Noah lengthened the broken sword with his sword.
Tiu and Aslan watched in admiration.
“Swordsmith… … ! It was also created from irregularly broken sections?”
“As expected.”
Against him, Shiva also increased his sword skills in his nails.
The weakness of the iron sword method is that its reach is short as it strengthens the claws.
However, when it reached the 2nd level of geomgi, it was possible to solve the problem by continuing the geomgi over the nails.
Iron sword swordsmanship was a swordsmanship in which the true face was revealed as the level went up.
The two clashed again.
“amazing! Noah, I knew that guy was strong, but isn’t he pretty tough even against seniors?”
“No, look closely.”
“yes?”
“Shiba’s swordsmanship is unusual even in this school, where all kinds of swordsmanship gather. It’s a completely different story when you’re dealing with something like that for the first time, but it’s a completely different story.”
After taking a closer look at Noah once more, Tiu was able to understand the meaning of the words.
“Are you getting better at dealing with them?”
“Noah is reading the barbed wire sword method just by crossing swords for a moment. It won’t be easy to get used to the attack with ten fingers.”
“How could something like that… … ?”
Thanks to this, it was Shiba who was taken aback.
‘This guy, looking at his reaction, it’s clear that he only dealt with demons, so how did he respond to the barbed wire sword method?’
It was a sword and ten fingers facing each other.
Of course, Shiva had no choice but to be ahead in the number fight.
Moreover, for Noah, everything is improvised. Nevertheless, the battle between the two sides was established.
‘What is this monster doing again?’
Each sword strike comes in a more tricky way than before.
Every time they bumped into each other, they changed as if they had become completely different people.
It’s like meeting a hunter who has found his target and is trying out all kinds of weapons.
Even though she clearly still had the upper hand, Shiva felt like she was being preyed on.
Finally, he couldn’t stand it and asked.
“The changes that come from the ten fingers would not be easy to grasp even for an active knight. How can I respond?”
“Wild animals use their claws a lot. I am used to that.”
“You mean you learned the characteristics of barbed wire swordsmanship through wild experience?”
Of course, the barbed wire sword method, which many people painstakingly created over a long period of time, was incomparably fierce compared to the movements of wild animals.
But Noah was aware of the inevitable weaknesses of using nails as weapons.
“Even with ten fingernails, there is a limit to how far they can move. Learning rigid body technique does not change the knuckles.”
Even in the midst of embarrassment, Noah was seriously analyzing the opponent’s swordsmanship and looking for a countermeasure.
‘It’s tricky, but it’s not a swordsmanship I can’t deal with. I can attack enough.’
“Did you figure that out in such a short amount of time? I like it even more.”
“… … ?”
Shiva, who had been on the offensive, suddenly distanced herself from Noah.
Instead of following the movements whose intentions were unknown, I watched his actions.
“Because the iron sword method uses nails, it is impossible to even spread it if you do not use sword skills.”
In order to learn iron swordsmanship, it was necessary to first reach the level of using swordsmanship with ordinary swordsmanship.
That’s why Shiva was able to fight Tiu with a sword.
“That’s why the higher the level of the user, the more the true character is revealed. Let me show you specifically, this is the real… … .”
“Until there.”
The moment Shiva’s sword spirit seemed to waver, Aslan blocked the gap between the two.
“Are you thinking of making a life-and-death decision at the welcome party?”
“Ugh, senior Aslan! I was just about to heat up!”
“I’m sorry, but the next one is in the official ranking match. If the gymnasium is destroyed during personal sparring, there will be no money left for the dormitory.”
Then, looking back at Noah, he added a word.
“Again, it seems like that guy will soon become a high ranker. So the match ends in a draw. It ends with the dormitory head’s authority.”
When Shiva tried to show something new again, Noah, who was extremely nervous, was let down.
“Then what can I do?”
“No, how could Noah accept the words to quit so easily?”
“Tiu what do you think of me?”
No matter how much I was curious about Shiva’s true character, I didn’t have to go so far as to go against what I was told not to do.
“I’m not saying don’t do it at all, but if you’re going to do it, you should do it in a ranking match, right? Then, wouldn’t it be fine to start a ranking match right away, even tomorrow?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but that will be difficult.”
Aslan approached Noah and handed him a towel.
“Shiba is a top ranker in the top 1,000, so if you want to play a ranking match with him, you have to be a top ranker too.”
“A higher ranker?”
“okay. Those in the top 1,000 are called top rankers, but he is ranked 697th.”
The 10,000 students of Nightray gathered only the selected geniuses.
Shiva was the strongest among them, ranked 697th.
‘Is 697th this much? Then what about Veronica?’
“Well, it’s true that we’re at the bottom of our dorm.”
“Ugh! It’s because of the bet I made with that witch last month.”
“Who is the witch?”
Saying so, a tall female student with slender arms and legs appeared.
The tan skin full of healthy beauty unique to southerners, tight tights that reveal the curves of the body.
There was no place that didn’t attract attention, but the most noticeable among them were the two half-moon swords she was holding.
Two half-moon swords so large that the width of the blades could cover the entire face.
It was like using a sword that was heavier than his body weight.
“Could that be it?”
“huh? Tiu do you know what that is?”
“Swords in the shape of an ax or sickle are common in the southern remote areas filled with jungle. Because of this, a unique swordsmanship developed. That extra-large half-moon sword must be ‘Eterna’, which boasts the highest level of difficulty among such swordsmanship!”
“Hoo? Even though you’re a freshman, you know me well, right?”
The female student who was involved in Tiu’s excited explanation also showed interest.
“My name is Ursula, ranked 72nd in the academy rankings.”
“72nd? Then you are receiving direct support from the imperial family!”
If you were a high ranker from 1,000th place, you were called a high ranker from 100th place.
It was famous that the gap between the 100th and 101st was huge because students in the top 100 were sponsored by the imperial family.
While Tiu admired, Shiva grumbled as if he was unfair.
“That damn witch. I asked my practice partner to do it… … .”
“Heh, isn’t that the rank you won by embarrassing the guys you met for the first time anyway? If you have the skills, you can come up again.”
“After that game, everyone says they won’t play ranking matches with me!”
Noah asked Aslan what that meant.
“Previously, Ursula asked for help with practice, picked up her weaknesses, and bet Shiba in a ranking match. Thanks to that, Shiva was shocked after losing.”
“I didn’t mean to do that from the beginning, but since I was trying to get into the top 100, you were the only one who would accept the ranking match. But it’s annoying to win and climb up one by one.”
“Actually, it’s a bit much to say it’s Ursula’s fault. Even though Shiva learned Ursula’s weakness during practice, she lost.”
“Ugh, even senior Aslan… … .”
The ranking match within the top 1,000 was a swap type in which the rankings of the winner and loser were swapped.
Thanks to this, Ursula, who was ranked 899th at the time, beat Shiva, who was ranked 72nd, and became 72nd.
Shiva, who suddenly fell to 899th place, wanted to rise again, but it was not easy.
“There aren’t many guys who want to play a ranking match with the former 72nd place guy. Thanks to you, I still can’t recover my ranking.”
That meant that even Shiva, who was currently ranked 697, was actually a strong player within the top 100.
“There are 10,000 students, but the level is really high?”
“That’s why the current Black Moon is in danger of demolition. The other kids couldn’t stand it and ran out, leaving no one behind.”
“Why?”
To that question, Aslan spread a finger and said.
Black Moon Dormitory Rules First.
“We have our own sparring with the dormitory members every night. Participation is mandatory. There is even a saying that it is a black moon because it is always cut on a moonlit night.”
At those words, the eyes of the two freshmen began to shine brightly.
* * *
Afterwards, a welcome party was held for Noah and Tiu, who had moved their luggage from the inn.
To say it was a welcome party was nothing special.
An event to prepare food and get acquainted with other dormitory students.
However, there were only a few students staying at the Black Moon Dormitory.
Aslan, Shiva, and Ursula were all three, plus a female student named Ophelia.
“That senior named Ophelia… … .”
When she first appeared, Noah and Tiu thought it was a bear.
It was literally a bear.
Ophelia was covered in the pure white fur of a polar bear.
It didn’t seem like a day or two that the part of the hind legs dragged on the floor got dirty.
Seeing Noah’s gaze, Shiva told him about Ophelia.
“Ophelia, opposite Ursula, came from the northern edge. They say that energy conservation is important in that neighborhood, so they usually doze off.”
“You don’t wear clothes like that even in summer, do you?”
“When I visit in the summer, I see her wearing a swimsuit inside. Be careful if you’re thinking of taking a peek. The sword is flying.”
Shiva then pointed to the scar on his side.
‘The scar looks like it was stabbed by an awl?’
“Are the wounds unusual? Ophelia uses a double-edged sword that is almost like a spear.”
“A double-edged sword?”
“I lengthened the handle so that it resembled a pole, and attached blades to both ends. It was made for hunting in the north, so its operation is almost like a spear.”
“Hey. Everyone here uses unique swordsmanship.”
“In a way, it is natural. Because there are only guys who are not from the 8th family.”
Noah had also heard the term 8th generation family several times when he was living in the boarding house.
“If you’re talking about the 8th generation, you mean the best swordsmanship families in the empire, right?”
“that’s right. Eight families who took the hegemony of the imperial swordsmanship based on their excellent swordsmanship. Their prestige is so sky-high, there is even a saying that knights are divided into those from the 8th family and those without.”
“These are great guys.”
“The great horn. Those guys madly call their own swordsmanship the right way, and the rest call them evildoers. It sounds funny.”
Shiva then pointed to Aslan, who was talking to Thiu.
“The person standing at the top of this school is senior Aslan, who listens to the voices of apostles like us.”
“Then why is Aslan living like this even though he’s number one in the rankings… … .”
“It’s all because of the envy and jealousy of those damned 8th-generation families. Because those guys were arguing about everything, the senior had to use all his authority to protect the people around him.”
It was really funny.
Doesn’t this mean that even in this school of swordsmanship supremacy, there is open discrimination based on factions?
“newcomer. With your skills, you should be able to become a high ranker without difficulty. then please don’t In order for the apostles to survive in this school, they must come together.”
It was quite serious, so Noah nodded.
However, he did not intend to listen to Shiva’s words directly.
‘My goal is to be the strongest. If the 8th family gets in the way, I’ll destroy it, but the final goal is… … .’
Noah looked at Aslan, who was smiling kindly.
The day of the entrance ceremony ended like that, and the next morning, the first class at Night Ray began.