Beyond - 6
Three days.
That was the time YuWon and Son OhGong had agreed upon to train the two.
"Ugh, ugh-."
"Phew-."
Wielding their weapons until foul breath escaped their mouths. In front of them were the clones of Son OhGong. Although called clones, each possessed the strength of a High-Ranker.
As expected, no matter what they tried, the two couldn't harm the clones.
"Darn! That's not it! When aiming for the neck, do it like this, press..."
"Shut up, tsk, tsk. Instead of talking like that, teach us properly."
YuWon's voice passed by them.
Son OhGong scratched his head with a groan.
'Why am I doing this?'
The problem was that the person who had agreed to train these two was himself.
"Eh? The hammer is a bit heavier than the sword, right? Put more strength in your grip. If you don't, the force won't reach the tip of the hammer."
Whoosh-.
Son OhGong's eyes could see the flaws in Jooyeon and Seongchan.
What they were doing wrong, what bad habits they had.
What problems arose when switching weapons.
"Each Player's stats have their own advantages. Lim Jooyeon, you have high strength, and Choi Seongchan has high agility. Having one particularly high stat means you have talent in that area."
The weak wielded a heavy hammer, while the strong wielded a light weapon. So far, the two had been fighting with weapons completely opposite to their aptitudes.
"But, is it really okay to change weapons so suddenly?"
"How much do you think you've learned? Besides swinging and hitting, you don't seem to have learned anything else."
In the end, the two switched weapons according to YuWon's instructions.
And right after that...
Son OhGong was left alone here, teaching the two.
"Hey, that guy. He left me with all the heavy lifting."
Jooyeon asked, forgetting that she herself had been the first to intrude, at Son OhGong's grumbling.
"Where did YuWon-ssi go?"
"Ah, that guy."
Son OhGong scratched his ear and answered disinterestedly.
"He's getting married soon. That's why he's busy these days."
"Really?"
"He's getting married? With Miss Pandora?"
Son OhGong looked at the two approaching with shining eyes.
Was it such a big deal?
Wasn't it just a fancy dress party?
"Stop talking nonsense and rest a bit. We have to leave soon."
"Yeah? Where to?"
"I, Son OhGong, believe that the best training is real combat."
"Just in case, don't let them participate in the next Trial."
Although he had heard those words...
"There won't be a next Trial?"
Who knows?
I am Son OhGong.
-------------
Ninth Floor Trial Room.
Jooyeon and Seongchan looked up at the high ceiling, trembling.
"U-uh, why are we here all of a sudden?"
"Well… hehe..."
They were supposed to skip this Trial.
"I'm telling you not to change weapons under any circumstances. If I see you change, you'll die at my hands even if you pass the Trial."
"Oh, and no giving up halfway. Anyway, you'll die at my hands."
“Trial cost? Hey man, do I look like a tax collector?”
Although he appreciated being loaned the money for the Trial, the problem was that things weren't as they were at the beginning.
Over a hundred Players had gathered in the Trial room.
Jooyeon and Seongchan waited for their names to be called.
The Trial consisted of a game of snatching balls in 2v2 teams.
A simple test where the goal was to snatch the balls carried by the opposing team.
The method didn't matter.
They could kill, leave alive, or even persuade.
The only thing that mattered was obtaining the balls by any means necessary.
"Balls again."
"Yeah."
Gulp.
They swallowed hard, holding back the tension in their throats.
Time passed.
Tension rose as they watched some Kugadors die or get injured in the Trial room.
And then...
"Next, Lim Juyeon, Choi Seongchan."
Their names were called.
"Your opponents are Teru, Maru. Get on stage."
"...Let's go."
"Yeah."
Step~
Each grabbing their weapon, Jooyeon and Seongchan stepped onto the stage.
The opponents were a pair of dark-skinned twins dressed in animal-print clothes.
To top it off, they had to fight against twins who had good coordination.
'Can we do this?'
Seongchan's vision blurred.
It was the sixth time he had participated in this Trial.
Moreover, this time they were using a completely different type of weapon than they had been using before.
Was this really the right thing to do?
"Don't get so nervous."
Bam.
"Oof!"
A punch to the side.
Seongchan, whose tension was increasing, suddenly snapped to attention.
Looking to his side, he saw Jooyeon smiling as she raised the hammer in her hand.
"This time we'll make it. Definitely."
Even though she was as nervous as he was.
Seongchan nodded and looked forward.
The opponents were already staring at them fiercely, eager to fight.
And so, after a while...
"The Trial begins!"
With the Trial Supervisor's signal.
Pssh, pssh!
Deru and Maru.
The two brothers each charged at Jooyeon and Seongchan.
Bang, bang!
Crash!
The fierce attacks of the two men with long claws on both hands were unleashed.
Seongchan's eyes shook as he blocked their attacks with the sword in his hand.
'...Eh?'
Were they doing better than he thought?
----------------
Above the Ninth Floor Trial Room.
Son OhGong, who had secured a good spot to watch, observed the battle between Jooyeon and Seongchan.
"Kids' fights have their own charm."
Crunch.
Eating potato chips and chewing, he watched Jooyeon and Seongchan go through the Trial.
"These brats, don't tell me they'll chicken out..."
"What are you doing now?"
Son OhGong turned his head at the voice he heard behind him. YuWon was approaching from behind Son OhGong, who was sitting on the railing watching the fight.
“Eh? And why are you here…?”
Grab!
“Didn't I tell you not to let them participate in the Trial?”
YuWon squinted at Son OhGong while grabbing his ear.
Despite the warning...
This darn Monkey had made Jooyeon and Seongchan participate in the Trial in the end.
"Aaah! I get it, so let go! Ouch!"
YuWon released Son OhGong's ear, who complained in pain while huffing.
All the noise was making it audible even in the Trial room.
"Ugh... Don't worry so much. Who have these two brats learned from, huh?"
Bang!
Jooyeon and Seongchan in a heated battle against the two twin brothers.
Certainly, they had improved compared to before.
To YuWon's eyes, it seemed like they were doing nothing. However, it was clear that they had become familiar with handling weapons.
"What those two need the most now is confidence. If they want to surpass their limits, that's the only thing that matters."
"That's your problem. You're too much of a perfectionist."
Son OhGong clicked his tongue and shook his head. YuWon looked at Son OhGong with an incredulous expression.
Was it possible that this guy would win in an argument?
"It's an honor to meet you!"
At that moment...
The Trial Supervisor, who had recognized YuWon and Son OhGong due to the commotion caused by Son OhGong, stepped onto the stage.
"I am the Trial Supervisor, Temar! My greetings to the great lords!"
The Trial Supervisor, Temar, bowed 90 degrees to greet YuWon and Son OhGong.
He was also an honorable Ranker, but the ones he had in front of him were High-Rankers, holding the 1st and 4th positions in the Ranking, respectively.
What difference was there between an elephant and an ant when looking at the sky?
Temar couldn't help but feel nervous in the presence of both.
"What are you doing here...?"
According to the news, Son OhGong was working as a mercenary for the alliance between Olympus and Asgard.
The strongest mercenary, punishing those who disturbed the Tower's order.
That's what Son OhGong was doing now.
Was there any problem with his Trial method?
As he tensed with that thought...
"I just came to see how the kids were doing in the Trial."
"Kids?"
Temar put on a puzzled expression at Son OhGong's response.
Kids?
Naturally, Temar's gaze turned to the Trial field that YuWon was observing.
A pair of twin brothers and a man-woman pair.
Was it said that among them was the successor of the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal?
"Don't misunderstand. They're just kids I've been teaching for a few days."
"A few days?"
Temar sighed softly and looked at Jooyeon and Seongchan participating in the Trial.
"Those kids are really lucky."
It's not easy for normal Players to receive the tutelage of a Ranker.
Even after reaching the tenth floor and joining a Sect, it was rare for a player at the level of a Sect Leader to guide directly. However, they had received the tutelage of a High-Ranker, and moreover, from the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, known as a genius in combat.
It was enviable.
And at that moment...
Bam!
Jooyeon's hammer struck the side of her opponent.
The blow changed the course of the battle.
"Maru!"
The gaze of the other Player, worried about his brother, momentarily shifted to the side.
And at the same time, the tip of Seongchan's sword moved.
"Don't hesitate. In the Trial, think that everyone except you is an enemy."
"Win. Kill. Your level will depend on your determination."
A moment of hesitation could ruin the Trial. YuWon's words passed through his mind, and the momentary doubt also dissipated.
Swoosh!
A red line appeared on Deru's neck.
In a sensation as if the world had slowed down, he saw the head he had cut off fall to the ground.
It wasn't the first time he had killed.
But it was the first time he had fought with the intention to "kill."
'Ah...'
Thud.
The severed head fell to the ground.
His fingertips trembled.
Now he understood a little why YuWon had said those words.
'So this is...'
A feeling of dizziness.
What made him aware that he had passed the Trial was the sound that followed.
"Lim Jooyeon, Choi Seongchan! Approved!"
The Trial Supervisor Temar's declaration.
Jooyeon and Seongchan's heads lifted at the voice coming from above.
And then...
They saw the faces of YuWon and Son OhGong looking down at them.
"Those kids have overcome the wall."
Temar smiled as he watched Jooyeon and Seongchan bow to YuWon and Son OhGong.
YuWon nodded at his words.
He had tried to have them take things slowly, but the result wasn't bad.
Jooyeon and Seongchan, who had finished the Trial, didn't immediately ascend to the next floor.
First, they thought it was more important to greet YuWon and Son OhGong before leaving.
"YuWon-ssi!"
"We passed!"
An excited greeting.
Son OhGong frowned as he saw Jooyeon and Seongchan running towards him from afar.
"I taught you, why are they greeting him?"
At Son OhGong's words, Jooyeon and Seongchan greeted him belatedly.
Then, YuWon took out his Player Kit, sent a message, and said:
"When you go up, look for the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"H-Heavenly Demon Cult?"
"Why there?"
"Say you're coming with my recommendation. They'll treat you well then."
The person YuWon sent the message to was the Heavenly Fist King of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Pung Baekrim.
One of the four Grand Masters representing the Heavenly Demon Cult.
He was also known as an unparalleled warrior who despised laziness.
"Do it well."
Tap, tap.
In the face of YuWon's command, Jooyeon and Seongchan felt a chill run down their spines.
Suddenly, they remembered.
The next floor was the 10th floor, the floor ruled by the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Murim Alliance.
And YuWon held the position of Vice Chief of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Tags:
LWTG (Novel)