Nano Machine c 91 to 100

 Chapter 91 Chapter 91: The dangerous third test (1) The time given for cadets to train for the third test quickly passed by, and many things happened during that time period. It started with Chun Jongsum, the prince of the Poison Clan who left the academy with an injury, and it ended with Chun Yuchan, one of two likely heirs to the throne, who lost the fight for a yellow tag and had his arm cut off. There were other minor incidents, but all the important incidents were related to Chun Yeowun. In the early morning, just before the beginning of the third test, there was a guest in the Chief’s office. The guest was a man wearing a mask with weird symbols on it. It was the Great Guardian, Marakim the Dark King. There were documents in the hands of the Left Guardian and Chief of the Academy, Lee Hameng. But he didn’t look pleased while glancing through the documents. After going through every page, he put them down on the desk and asked, “Is this really approved?” “Yes. It was decided from the top, and the Lord approved it yesterday.” If the Lord approved it, then there was no choice. “I know the reason for the change, but no one would be happy to hear about the change on the day of the test.” “…” The Great Guardian didn’t like talking much, so he stayed silent. The document that Marakim brought over had a change in how the third test would be held. ‘The test seems to be too easy.’ That was the reason for the change. The test at the Demonic Academy was always chosen by the Chief and instructors, excluding the first test that was held on the first day. The test proposal would then be sent to the Elders and the Lord for approval. There were always cases where the test had problems and needed change, but this was the first time where a change was requested on the day of the test. ‘…This is going too far.’ It was hard to understand. It was strange that the Lord, who was currently trying to put down the six clans, had approved this. Lee Hameng didn’t seem to accept it and Marakim took out something from his pocket and gave it to Hameng. It was a letter. Hameng began reading it. He then scowled and burned the letter, mumbling at the ashes. “As you wish, my Lord.” And hours passed after that. All the cadets gathered at the training ground for the test. With all groups now used to being in their groups, they naturally lined up according to their groups. The eleven members of Yeowun’s group were confident. They had perfected the Sword Demon formation after enduring the hard training and lessons from Yeowun. The other members from Yeowun’s other groups were in a similar spot too. ‘This is weird.’ Yeowun was looking at the third group left on his left. Behind the third group’s leader was Chun Yuchan, the prince of the Sword Clan. He was missing his right arm and was on the team as a regular member, not a group leader. He might have given up if he was a regular cadet, but it seemed like he hadn’t given up all hope yet. ‘Well, I see what they are thinking though.’ Most of the third group’s members were Yuchan’s servants. It seemed like they had no way to get a yellow tag anymore, so they beat up one of the group leaders and exchanged every member with their own. ‘…I should’ve done more than cut his arm off.’ Yeowun thought he had to do far more. It had been quite a while since the cadets had gathered, but they waited a while longer than expected. The instructors who always were up on the stage before the cadets even started to gather still had not come out from the main building. “Oh! There they are!” That’s when Lee Hameng and other instructors began to walk down from the building. Hameng went up on the stage and sat on the chair. However, the instructors also brought with them people tied up tightly with ropes onto the stage. Their heads were covered with black rags. “Walk straight!” “This way, you fool!” The instructors treated them as if they were criminals. ‘What is it?’ All the cadets became silent and watched awkwardly. All those tied up people were put up at the front of the stage, and there were exactly sixteen of them. Hameng then got up from the chair and spoke. “Have you done a good amount of training for the third test?” “Mado!” The cadets shouted loudly in unison. But unlike their eager voices, their faces were filled with nervousness. “Before we move onto the test, I will announce one small change in the details.” The cadets began to mumble, concerned about unexpected change. They now realized that the change had something to do with those tied up people at the front of the stage. “The original test was going to involve fighting instructors with the Sword Demon formation. But there will be a slight change to this.” Hameng then snapped his fingers and the instructors brought up three large wooden boxes. They opened them up and many swords poured out from within. Those were real swords. ‘Real swords?’ ‘I thought we were going to use wooden swords for the test?’ The cadets became confused and Hameng kept going. “The test will not change. You will use the Sword Demon formation to defeat the enemy.” ‘Enemy?’ Yeowun frowned. And the words that came out of Hameng’s mouth shocked all cadets instantly. “But- you don’t just defeat them. You have to kill your enemy.” The cadets began to panic. They were shocked to hear that they had to kill the enemy. Hameng then shouted by forcing his internal energy out. “SILENCE!!” “Ugh!” They all turned silent at once. Hameng glared and continued, “Do you see these people in front of you?” “Mado!” “They are criminals from Forces of Justice, and Evil.” All the cadets were shocked. They thought something was weird when these people were brought up, but they didn’t think they were real criminals. They were more like war prisoners, but for the Demonic Cult, they were criminals. Chapter 92 Chapter 92: The dangerous third test (2) “You will pass the test if you kill them with the Sword Demon formation. This will be your first official battle.” The test was not a practice session anymore. It was a real fight against a real enemy and they needed to kill them. Most of the cadets only stayed within the Ten Thousand Mountains, so they never had never seen any enemies until now. “These criminals will be let go if they defeat you, so they will try hard. Don’t be sympathetic to your enemies, or else you will die instead.” Lee Hameng warned them. The cadets all turned grim. Of course, the thirtysix instructors were ready to jump if there was any threatening potential danger, but they didn’t tell the cadets. Otherwise, they would forget their fear. “I- I don’t want to die…” Jin Guuk paled because of the fear. But it wasn’t only Jin Guuk. Now the test wasn’t about if they were going to pass the test or not. It was whether they would survive or die. “Now, we will proceed with the test. I will start with the 700th cadet, Sama Chak’s group. Come forward and retrieve your swords.” “Mado!” The first group to take this test was Sama Chak’s group. He had been the first person to register to be a group leader, and although he was happy when he did it back then, he and his group weren’t happy about going first. “Go up!” Instructors dragged up one of the tied up criminals to the middle of the training ground. Then they took off the black rag and a man with a tangled beard and pale face was revealed. There were many signs of torture on his face. “Ah… argh…” He too seemed to be very nervous. He had heard about the test already and he knew what he had to do if he were to survive. However, he was still shocked to see the cadets in front of him. ‘They’re just children!’ He volunteered since he was told that he would be freed if he could win against the sword formation, but he wasn’t told that he’d be fighting teenagers. The instructors scoffed at the man from behind. ‘This group is lucky to fight the foolish Force of Justice.’ It seemed it wasn’t likely that something would go terribly wrong. Lots of members from the Force of Justice valued justice or ethics, and thus they were sympathetic. It seemed this man was probably like that. Instructors untied the man and released the pressure on the blood point, freeing him to use his martial arts. Sama Chak’s group circled around the man and Hameng shouted, “Begin!” With the order, twelve cadets all formed the Seven Demon sword stance. ‘Ah…’ The man then became serious. He realized that if he wasn’t serious, he might die. Then his sword wielded clear white sword qi. He was an experienced master-level warrior. The twelve cadets became concerned. The only master warrior they had was Sama Chak, but he too was only an entry-level master warrior. If they made any mistakes in the formation, then they might die. ‘We have no choice.’ Sama Chak took a deep breath and shouted, “Third formation! Gol!” The twelve cadets then began to unleash sword movement at the bearded man. With each pair of students doing the same sword movement, a total of six sword movements were unleashed by all the pairs, inducing an amazing effect. “What!” The ordinary Seven Demon Sword had become a sword movement unleashed like that of a master warrior. ‘They learned it well.’ Yeowun nodded. The written explanation about the Sword Demon formation in the book was too simple, and there the possibility of misunderstanding it would lead a group to attack with the same formation. However, Sama Chak and his group were doing it the correct way. The bearded man was shocked, but he quickly defended himself against all the sword movement. He was attacked from all sides, but he had enough experience to fight back. “Ugh!” However, he couldn’t defend everything since he had been tied up for a long time. His muscles were stiff and his shoulder and chest were cut slightly. “Second formation! Go!” Sama Chak then shouted at his members as the bearded man shook from the damage. The second formation was unleashed, but there was a problem. A few cadets collided against each other while trying to complete it too quickly, thus shaking up the formation. “N-no!” ‘Now is the chance!’ The bearded man then took the change to put his sword into one of the cadet’s chests. When the cadet flinched and closed his eyes, the bearded man hesitated. ‘Dammit!!!’ He couldn’t bear to kill a teenage boy. And that hesitation brought him his demise. “AAAAAAARGH!” Many swords pierced into him from the back. A sword passed through his organs and through his heart, killing him. Some cadets slumped down to the ground after their first kill. Leader Sama Chak looked at the dead man and bit his lips. ‘Dammit. This doesn’t make me feel any better.’ Regardless of his feelings, the cadets shouted in joy for the first victory. “Whoaaaa!” It seemed like they gained courage by seeing a fight that seemed to end easily. Two instructors then came up to haul the body out. “You were lucky,” the instructor said. Sama Chak and his members frowned. Like he said, if the man was cold-hearted, they would have been killed. Lee Hameng then got up from the chair and shouted loudly, “I congratulate the victory of Sama Chak!” Regardless of the progress, Sama Chak’s group brightened up since they had passed the test. However, it didn’t last long. “The 700th cadet leader, 93rd cadet, 147th cadet, 217th cadet, 803rd cadet, 922nd cadet, and 983rd cadet. These seven cadets have passed the third test.” “S-seven?” “W…what does that mean?” The five cadets who were not called out became shocked. These were the ones who collided against each other during the formation. They had made a mistake, but they thought they would pass the test since they had won the fight. However, it wasn’t what they expected. Yeowun frowned. So the test would be carried out as a group, but the actual result relied on each individual. Any mistake, and that person would fail. Chapter 93 Chapter 93: The dangerous third test (3) During the first round of the test, Left Guardian Lee Hameng’s eyes did not leave the man from the Force of Justice. As written in the request document to change the test, the man had been in prison for three years. Therefore, he couldn’t use the best of his skills. If the cadets didn’t make a mistake, it would be easy enough for the cadets to defeat him. ‘There was no chance until now. Then they must be after…’ Hameng then turned to Chun Yeowun. Two princes had already been taken out of the academy already. One of them had her arm cut off and one had his internal energy destroyed, thus losing the chance to become the Lord forever. ‘It will take forever for them to wait four years.’ It was apparent that those clans were dying to kill Chun Yeowun. However, they couldn’t go against the rule of the academy with the Lord watching over them, so they changed the test to do something else. ‘Whatever it is, it will be your undoing.’ The next group came up to start their test. “Walk straight!” “Bah!” Two instructors brought up another criminal. They untied the man and took off his mask. He was also very rugged looking with scars all over his face. “Damn, bastards!” It was apparent that he wasn’t from the Force of Justice. Instructors looked at the second group with a sympathetic expression. They were against a bad enemy. ‘They aren’t so lucky. He’s from the Force of Evil.’ Both forces had very different ideals and thoughts. The evil forces had no sympathy and they did whatever they could to defeat their enemies. They tried everything in their power to survive. “Begin!” With Lee Hameng’s shout, twelve cadets readied the Seven Demon Sword. Their leader was Chun Mukeum from the Loyal Clan. ‘Damn. This is bad.’ Mukeum ranted in his head. Unlike the first man, this enemy looked very aggressive and dangerous. If there was any slight mistake, it was going to be bloody. “Foolish kids, you dare to try to fight me?!” The man then charged ahead without giving the cadets time to get into formation. He attacked the only girl cadet who seemed to be weakest in the formation with his most powerful attack. ‘Dammit!’ “Fifth formation!” Mukeum shouted annoyingly. The fifth formation was based off the Fifth Sword of the Seven Demon Sword, which was a defensive formation. ‘So, you aren’t just some ordinary kids then?’ The man grinned. The twelve cadets made a sword barrier by moving defensively, and the man then shifted to attack another cadet. “Argh!” The cadet’s left arm was struck by the sword. He gasped in fear that he might die and tried to back away. Mukeum shouted quickly, “Fall back ten steps!” The cadets quickly took ten steps back. If only the injured cadet backed away, it could break the formation and put the other cadets in danger. It was the right call. [Man up, you asshole! We’ll all die if we fail!] Mukeum shouted with his telepathic message, and the injured cadet nodded with a pale face. ‘Heh, so he’s the weak point.’ The man then charged at the injured cadet again. He knew well that an enemy who was scared was the weak point of any sword formation. “Hieeek!” With the man charging in, the cadet panicked and unleashed the Fifth Sword to defend himself. “Aaaargh!” However, a mere top-level warrior had no way to fight against master-level warrior. As he was pushed back, Mukeum ran toward the enemy and shouted, “Dammit! I told you to man up! Third formation!” The cadets then unleashed the Third Sword at their enemy. However, the man ignored the other attacks and cut the injured cadet’s right hand which was holding the sword. “Aaaaaaargh!” He then twisted to unleash a defensive movement to defend against all the other sword attacks. With one missing from the formation, their power had decreased tremendously. The man then found another weak point. ‘They’re just kids.’ He stabbed out with his sword and the sword pushed out a few cadets, loosening the swords from their hands. “Hahahahaha! I did it! I beat the formation!” The cadets frowned as they saw their swords flying up in the air. That’s when a fist struck the delighted enemy’s back. “Argh!” He spat out blood and was pushed forward. It was Chun Mukeum who attacked from behind. Mukeum, who feared for his life, had used his Loyal Fist skill instead of Seven Demon sword. Mukeum shouted, “Now! First formation!” The remaining five cadets quickly unleashed the First Sword of the Seven Demon Sword without thinking. There were only five of them so they lacked power, but that was enough. “Aaaaaaargh!” Swords penetrated into the man, and the man who was happy that he defeated the formation died with dumbfounded shock. The other cadets who were watching Mukeum’s group were also lost for words. They now realized how hard the test could be. The instructors then took their hands off their swords. They were ready to jump out if things went out of control, but such an incident didn’t happen, fortunately. “I will announce the result.” Lee Hameng called out a total of six cadets from Mukeum’s group. And the 80th cadet, Jahyun, one of Mukeum’s most loyal servants, failed the test. “Dammit!” With the second group completing the test, a glimmer of hope came to the cadets waiting to be tested. It was to have a chance to fight against a member from the Force of Justice. But that was a false hope as not every member from the Force of Justice was weak-minded like the first person. The third group was actually against a warrior from the Force of Justice, but the enemy wasn’t the sympathetic type. He tried hard to survive and injured almost all the cadets within the group. Only three of them had passed the test. Five more groups went through the test, and the only group so far that had every member pass the test was the fifth group, Chun Muyeon’s group. Chapter 94 Chapter 94: The dangerous third test (4) “Perfect! That was a perfect Sword Demon formation.” Lee Hameng complimented Muyeon’s group as they defeated the enemy after two formations. No one had made a mistake and they were all unscathed. ‘It’s our turn soon.’ The group tested just now was the cadet who registered to be a leader right before Yeowun. If it went in order, Yeowun’s group was next. As expected, Lee Hameng called Yeowun’s group. “7th cadet Chun Yeowun’s group, come up.” “Mado!” While Yeowun’s members went up with anxious expressions, all the criminals whose faces were covered with masks all flinched. ‘Ugh, I hope it’s not too bad!’ Jin Guuk looked at the criminal who was pulled forward. None had died yet, but over thirty cadets had been injured. He was bound to be worried. “Please… justice, justice, justice…” Hu Bong was mumbling, hoping that they would fight against a member from the Force of Justice. After watching all the tests, enemies from the Force of Justice didn’t seem to threaten the lives of the cadets at least. However, the groups who fought against members from the Force of Evil had many cadets who had their limbs cut off. “Stay still. I will untie you.” ‘Instructor Hou?’ The person who brought up the criminal was Senior Instructor Hou Jinchang. Yeowun became curious as Hou Jinchang usually stayed back to oversee the other instructors. The mask was pulled off from the criminal’s face. He had a long beard and glaring eyes with aggressive features. He still was still tied up with sealed blood points to stop him from moving, but his aura proved that he was not from the Force of Justice. ‘…Dammit.’ Hu Bong frowned. It was exactly what he had feared. Even the cadets who were watching expressed sympathy as they saw the enemy. “Hmph.” The man glanced at Yeowun’s group, looking to find someone. ‘…Something’s a bit off.’ Yeowun narrowed his eyes. Most criminals were usually nervous or tense as they would try to find a way out or become frantic with the urge to survive. [Be careful.] Yeowun then heard Hou Jinchang’s short telepathic message. He then was able to confirm that something fishy was going on. ‘What can it be…?’ Yeowun was already curious as to why the test had changed at the last minute. If there was something going on, he needed to pay attention to everything. And the cadets watching the test observed the group with anticipation ‘What’s going to happen?’ ‘Maybe he’ll finish it like the 1st cadet.’ ‘Yeah, but he fought the man from the Force of Justice.’ ‘Right. Maybe one or two might fail.’ Chun Yeowun had shocked all the cadets throughout every test and every incident. They were curious as to what Yeowun would show them this time around. “Begin!” “Mado!” With Lee Hameng’s order, Yeowun’s members shouted in unison and readied for the Seven Demon Sword. But even when surrounded him, the bearded man didn’t attack first and quietly readied himself. ‘Is he ready for anything?’ Yeowun then shouted at his members. “Fourth formation!” ‘I found him!’ The man then turned quickly and glared at Yeowun. It was as if he were an eagle that had found its prey. However, the twelve members unleashed their swords at the man. “Ohhh!” It was a perfect sword formation, just like what Muyeon’s group had showed. However, the man did not seem to care. He quickly moved his sword to easily defend against all the sword movements. It was so fast that it was even hard to track it with the naked eye. “What!” “What kind of power is this?!” Hu Bong and Jin Guuk’s swords were thrown back at such powerful energy “Hah!” “Ugh!” The man shouted and a clear qi was unleashed from his sword, breaking all the swords that touched his sword. Lee Hameng got up from the chair with shock. ‘He’s not a master-level warrior!’ If used by top-class warriors, the Sword Demon formation allowed them to fight against master-level warriors. Yet, this criminal was not just defending; he was actually pushing them back. He was recorded as a master, and he had master-level internal energy when checked prior to the third test. ‘No, he’s not a master-level warrior. He’s agrandmaster warrior.’ And just like how Hameng realized it, Hou Jinchang also realized this at the same time. If he wasn’t a master-level warrior, this test had to be stopped. “Fall back!” Hou Jinchang shouted and charged in. He quickly unleashed his sword attack, trying to attack the bearded man. “Back off!” “Aaargh!” “Machil!” Hu Bong shouted as the man grabbed Machil’s neck and threw it at Hou Jinchang. “NO!” Hou Jinchang quickly took his sword back and grabbed Machil. “Ugh!” And Hou Jinchang was thrown way back with Machil with the energy that came at him. The energy was so powerful that even Hou Jinchang could not defend against it although he was also entering the grandmaster level. The man then turned and growled at Yeowun. “Heh… I will kill you now.” Yeowun glared at him with cold eyes. ‘So, this was it.’ The man’s eyes had turned red, and veins were popping up all over his entire face. The reason for him pushing back Hou Jinchang was this: the Art of Blood Reversion. ‘What is with him? Does he think he can survive?’ The man became curious. He heard from ‘that man’ that Chun Yeowun was just a child who was merely at the verge of becoming a master. However, he didn’t run away. Instead, the kid was glaring back with no hint of fear in his eyes. “Foolish kid! I will kill you as painfully as possible!” The man shouted angrily and unleashed the attack at Yeowun. It was so powerful that it shot through the air, threatening to cut Yeowun into pieces of meat. But that’s when the man heard Yeowun’s voice in his ears. “No, you die.” “What?” At that moment, Yeowun’s sword shined with white qi light and twentyfour sword movements were unleashed upon the man like a storm. ‘W-what is this?!’ He became shocked. His sword movement was countered immediately and Yeowun’s body flew right past him. “AAAAAARGH!” The qi flowed through and the man twirled away, flying up into the air. Chapter 95 Chapter 95: The dangerous third test (5) Just a few minutes ago, all the cadets who were watching the third test thought Yeowun’s group would pass the test easily. However, the perfect sword formation was easily blocked. “Aargh!” “M-my sword!” With Yeowun’s members’ swords all being broken, they were thrown way back. The enemy was much more powerful than a master warrior. ‘W-what is going on?’ ‘Who is that man?!’ All the cadets got up in shock. Yeowun’s other members all realized something was wrong with the test. “This isn’t right.” “Master is in danger!” Ko Wanghur and Bakgi exchanged glances. If needed, they were ready to jump in to save their master, even if this was in the middle of the test. Before they could make their move, Senior Instructor Hou Jinchang dashed in first. “Oh! Instructor Hou is going…” “Ah!” To everyone’s surprise, Hou Jinchang was thrown back while trying to grab Machil. The cadets were shocked by the power that was thrown together with Machil. “Wait… is that?” “That’s the Art of Blood Reversion!” The man’s eyes were blood red and his face was covered with his veins popping out in a disgusting manner. His voice was also coarse like that of an animal. “How can a criminal from Force of Evil use that art?” The cadets were aware of the forbidden art’s existence. And as they watched, the man charged toward Yeowun, unleashing a terrifying sword move that scared even the cadets who were spectating. Every of Yeowun’s members charged in. “Master!” That’s when an amazing thing happened. Yeowun’s sword moved gracefully, leaving the afterimage of Yeowun’s body as he shot past the man. “Aaaaaaargh!” With the powerful storm of energy, the man was thrown up into the air, spinning, and the blood began to gush out from every one of his blood points. He then dropped to the ground, drenched in blood as if he was dead. Every cadet was at a loss for words. What they had just witnessed was Yeowun easily defeating the enemy who destroyed the perfect Sword Demon formation and defeated grandmaster level warrior Hou Jinchang with the power of blood reversion, in just one sword formation. ‘M…monster.’ Chun Mukeum was also at a loss for words. How strong did Yeowun get that he could do so much? But Yeowun didn’t look relieved as he looked at the enemy. ‘What was it?’ Yeowun thought as he looked at the man. He then turned back to his sword. ‘I felt resistance.’ His Sword Force of the Sky Demon had struck perfectly, but Yeowun felt strong resistance as he attacked the enemy’s blood points, and the sword couldn’t penetrate deeper in. The man then began to move. ‘I see. So, it didn’t work.’ The man’s upper clothes were ripped apart as his upper torso expanded abnormally. With veins popping up all over him, he didn’t look like a normal human anymore. He had turned so large and growled like a ferocious beast as he glared at Yeowun while getting up. “Ggrrr… I… I will kill you….!!! KAAAAAAAAARGH!” “Ugh!” “ARGH!” The man shouted. It was a sound energy attack. The shouting created a painful wave of energy that made cadets put their hands over their ears. But the power was so strong that some cadets vomited blood and fell. [Detected series of harmful energy waves from the sound. Activating emergency defense mode. Blocking all sounds coming through the eardrum and body.] With Nano’s ability, Yeowun was unharmed by the attack. The man frowned at Yeowun who seemed to be fine. “Grrrr…. You… you have to die here…. Kaaaaaargh!” It seemed like he was losing his mind now. Yeowun then aimed his sword at him and mumbled, “Try to defend against this one then.” Yeowun then decided to kill the enemy before things got worse and tried to unleash the second formation of the Sword Force of the Sky Demon. It was then… “AAAAAAARgh!” The man’s left arm was cut off. The man’s body which was so strong that even Yeowun’s master-level energy couldn’t penetrate was cut off so easily. “!!!” Yeowun’s eyes grew large. An unexpected figure was standing behind the man shouting in pain. He had rugged clothes and a bottle of liquor with a red nose. It was Right Guardian Submeng. “Heh, you dare try to touch my apprentice with your dirty hands?” “Teacher!” Yeowun was surprised by Submeng’s sudden appearance, but it didn’t last very long. “Be careful!” “Kwaaaargh!” The man roared with anger and turned to attack at Submeng. “I was only told to keep you alive.” “Kaaaargh!” Submeng swung his Crazy Blade and easily countered all attacks. He sliced off the man’s muscles. The man then slumped down to the ground like a doll. ‘Amazing!’ Yeowun was astonished. The Butterfly Blade Dance skill was much more powerful when a powerful warrior like Submeng performed it. He was twice as powerful than what Yeowun experienced through the avatar simulation. “Krrrrrrr!” The man tried to get up, but it was useless. The man then turned grim as he realized the power difference between him and Submeng. His face began to redden and he began to shudder when Submeng grabbed his head. “No, no. You can’t die yet.” Submeng’s hand unleashed an energy shock and struck the man’s head, making him pass out. His attempt to commit suicide by reversing the energy within him had failed. Submeng got up and shouted toward the stage. “Bah. You’re taking too long against such fools.” Everyone then turned to the stage where they hadn’t even been able to pay attention to until now. “Ah!” There were men with their upper clothes ripped apart like the enemy that attacked Yeowun, slumped down on the stage, and Lee Hameng grabbed another man who was flailing painfully in his grasp. “Aaaargh!” With Hameng’s hand that unleashed the energy, the man turned quiet. Hameng threw the man down and shouted annoyingly. “You merely took care of one, you drunkard.” He had defeated a total of seven men using the Art of Blood Reversion while the cadets didn’t even know it was happening. ‘This… is the guardian.’ It was such astounding power. They easily overpowered master-level warriors who had increased their powers greatly from the Art of Blood Reversion. This was only possible because the two of them were within the top ten powerful warriors in the cult. “Bah. Who cares.” Submeng shook his head. “Come out.” Hameng snapped his fingers and warriors with dark clothes and blue crests popped out from the surroundings. “Huh?” “Since when did they get here?” There was a total of forty men here, but no cadet had realized they were here until now. However, there were cadets who knew who they were. “Guardian Army!” They were warriors from the Lord’s palace that consisted of master-level warriors and they only took orders from the Lord. ‘The Guardian Army is here in the Academy?’ ‘What’s going on here?’ ‘Well, the criminal used the forbidden art.’ The cadets became frantic as the incident had happened during the third test and now the army of the Lord himself had appeared. And there was one cadet in particular who was disappointed by all this. It was Chun Kungwun from the Sword Clan. “Arrest them all.” “Yes, sir!” The warriors began to tie up the criminals and began dragging them out from the training ground. Submeng then walked up to Yeowun and greeted him. “Long time no see, my apprentice.” “It has been a long time, Teacher.” Yeowun bowed and Submeng grinned. Submeng, who had been waiting since the beginning of the third test, was actually very astounded by Yeowun’s increased power. “You have grown a lot.” “No, sir. I have far more to go.” “Heh, but I would have liked to see you use the Butterfly Blade Dance skill.” “Oh.” Yeowun was speechless. Submeng, however, didn’t look mad or anything. He was rather curious. “But that sword…” “Hmph.” Submeng tried to ask something but Lee Hameng coughed as he walked up. Submeng then glanced around and noticed many cadets were watching them. “Hehe. I will leave that for later.” There were more things he wanted to share, but Submeng knew the third test was still going on. “I wish you luck, my apprentice.” Submeng then jumped out, leaving the academy. Yeowun watched his teacher leave. He had to look forward to meeting him again in four years. Yeowun thought to himself as he looked. ‘Next time we meet… I will meet you as the heir to the throne.’ Submeng left and glanced back at the academy. ‘I am not sure about the Lord’s intention here.’ Submeng didn’t like the whole idea when he was on his way. He thought the Lord was using Yeowun as bait to put pressure on the six clans, so Submeng was going to intervene as soon as Yeowun was in danger. But when Yeowun used a powerful sword skill, Submeng was shocked. [Stay quiet about the sword skill. You must not tell anyone.] He was able to confirm it after hearing from Lee Hameng’s telepathic message that the sword skill was very similar to that of the Sword Art of the Sky Demon. He wanted to ask Yeowun how he learned it, but he had to stop it when he heard from Hameng. ‘If he knows, then it must be coming from the Lord himself.’ That seemed most likely. If Yeowun learned the best sword art of the cult, then the Lord’s true intention of succession lied within Yeowun. ‘Well, we shall see.’ He knew that the Lord was not to judged lightly. He had used Chun Yeowun to oppress six clans until now even when he was the son of the Lord’s only loved woman. So, Submeng didn’t think the Lord had changed his mind so easily. But if the Lord really intended on having Yeowun as the next Lord, then it was bound to bring changes to the cult. “Let’s go then.” “Yes, sir!” With Submeng in the lead, three hundred warriors from the Guardian Army ran out. It was in the direction of the Sword Clan’s mansion. Chapter 96 Chapter 96: Just happened on its own (1) The incident quickly began to calm down. Things could have gone out of control, but no one was injured in the process. Machil was also safe although he was thrown with his neck as Hou Jinchang had grabbed him and did not fight back the energy that pushed him back. ‘They are now coming after me in public.’ It was the first time that the six clans had come after him even if it was going against the rules of the cult, and it wasn’t done quietly either. They attacked in front of everyone, especially in front of Left Guardian Lee Hameng who was the trusted advisor to the Lord. Even if the attackers succeeded in killing themselves, this situation was bad enough that the Lord would have every reason to oppress the six clans even further. ‘Was this done on purpose?’ Yeowun didn’t feel good as he thought about it. If Submeng and the Guardian Army were on standby, then it was likely that they expected this from happening. ‘…He used me. So, am I just a pawn to his game?’ Yeowun had lost all hope for the Lord for caring about his son. He then realized that the Lord didn’t even attend Lady Hwa’s funeral. ‘Maybe he didn’t love my mother at all.’ Lady Hwa believed that the Lord loved her even when she was on her death bed. Yeowun didn’t want to go against her beliefs, so he held his suspicion back. ‘Dammit!’ If the Lord really loved her, then would he have left her to die from being poisoned? Couldn’t he protect her and her son Yeowun with the power he had? The suspicion and distrust only grew larger. ‘If that is true…’ If the Lord really used him and his mother as a political pawns against the six clans, then Yeowun couldn’t forgive him. ‘I will make you regret it.’ As Yeowun was furious at the Lord, Left Guardian Lee Hameng was also thinking about what just happened. ‘It is as he wished. This will let us suppress the Sword Clan.’ The clan responsible for managing the cult’s prison was the Giant Martial Sword Clan. This was one of the hidden connections of the Sword Clan. With their connection to the forbidden Art of Blood Reversion, it was going to damage the Sword Clan. ‘So, it’s not the three clans.’ The Sword Clan wasn’t the first to be put down. The first was the Lust Clan, as their leader Hang Soyu had gone too far with the first test. She was sentenced to banned from every important task and to lay low for the rest of the year. The leader of Poison Clan, Baek Oh, had broken one of the rules of the academy and had given a poisonous orb to Chun Yeowun, so he was sent to prison for two years. Baek Oh refused to admit to the charges, but since Yeowun’s clothes were covered in blood, that was irrefutable evidence. All of these events were tied to Yeowun. ‘To create such a result by using his own child.’ The Lord seemed to be very cold, even for Lee Hameng who was the most loyal and trusted advisor to the Lord. Whatever the case, three clans had gone down after these incidents. But there was one thing that Hameng was curious about. ‘They were caught too easily.’ The Lord had laid a trap so they that they would take the bait, but it was too easy. Chun Yeowun was doing well in the competition, which might have made them concerned, but it seemed weird for the Sword Clan to go this far and risk everything at once. It was apparent that this kind of behavior would lead them to the Sword Clan, so it didn’t make sense. It almost felt like the time when Lady Hwa was poisoned. ‘I hope it’s nothing.’ After things were cleaned up, Lee Hameng got back up onto the stage to proceed with the third test. “We had a problem there, but we’ll continue with the test with the previous test method.” All the cadets were curious as to what just happened, but since Lee Hameng did not go into the details, there was no use. Chun Yeowun’s group was able to pass the test altogether since they did manage to form a perfect sword formation, even if it was countered by a more powerful enemy. Every cadet agreed that the formation was perfect, so there were no objections. ‘Ah… so we were the last unlucky group.’ Hu Bong sighed. He was happy that all the members passed, but he and the members from Yeowun’s group were dumbfounded. Nine groups had risked their lives to take the dangerous test, but now the remaining groups were only required to defeat the instructors without risking their lives. Fortunately, four out of the remaining seven groups consisted of Yeowun’s members. “Whoaaaa!” The remaining cadets shouted in joy, but that didn’t last too long. “Oh? I guess I should fight you guys like a real fight then.” That shout of joy irritated the instructors and the remaining seven groups had to suffer from passing the test. The instructors knew very well about the formations already, so they weren’t easy like criminals from the Force of Justice. The third test ended just before dinner time. The life-threatening situation had disappeared, but the remaining seven groups were evaluated with more strict rules. Only 120 cadets passed the third test. ’34 out of 72…’ Half of Yeowun’s members had failed. He accepted his members out of loyalty, not out of power. So those who were weak couldn’t pass the test. However, it was also good that Yeowun still had thirty-four members with him who passed such a hard test. As for Chun Mukeum and Chun Kungwun, they lost over half of their members. For Chun Yuchan, he tried his hardest to pass the test, but he couldn’t do it sufficiently as the time was too short for him to get used to the Seven Demon sword with his left hand. Lee Hameng spoke to the cadets above the stage. “Congratulation to every cadet who passed the third test. You are now the high-ranked warriors of our cult.” “Mado!” All the cadets who passed the third test were given medals with a single engraving that proved they were high-ranked warriors. They were also given the third Black Dragon Ball. “Ohhh!” Hu Bong, who had been ranting all along about the unfairness of the test, was now happy with the box that contained the Black Dragon Ball. Starting with the third test, the rewards given to those who passed were now quite significant. First, they were allowed to access the third floor of the library. It was the floor where top-class martial artbooks were located. It was the moment that members of weaker clans had been waiting for waited so long. And, there was one more. Chapter 97 Chapter 97: Just happened on its own (2) “We are now giving you the weapons you left with us when you joined the academy.” Many cadets entered the academy with the weapons of their specialty. Until now, they had to receive training on basic sword formations and tactics that required no special weapons. So, they were forbidden from using those weapons. However, it was now time to train these warriors to be the best in the cult, so they were allowed to use their own weapons now. “Whoa! My sword!” “Finally!” The cadets were excited to receive their old weapons back. “My baby! I missed you so much!” “What!?” As Hou Sangwha got her weapon back and caressed it like a baby or puppy, all the cadets were shocked. She had a giant axe that was as tall as a grown man, and no ordinary cadet could possibly wield that. ‘…Baby?’ Now everyone could understand why Hou Sangwha had large, developed muscles. Ja Wumin was also happy to get his red-feathered spear. ‘Weapons…’ Yeowun did not have a special weapon. He wasn’t the type to become envious, but after looking at all those weapons, it reminded him of the Crazy Blade that Teacher Submeng held. Submeng told him that the Butterfly Blade Dance was only perfect with the Crazy Blade. ‘Will there be a sword that fits the Sword Force of the Sky Demon?’ The likely candidate to fit such criteria was the Sky Demon Sword which symbolized the Lord himself. But Yeowun had not seen it with his eyes, so he could only imagine. “Other cadets without weapons, you can get one at the armory.” Yeowun then went to armory to get a sword and blade. There were just generic weapons, but it was better than not having anything. After meeting with Submeng, Yeowun thought he would train the Butterfly Blade Dance also. After receiving everything, the cadets gathered back at the training ground and lined up. Lee Hameng glanced over everyone and spoke. “You all looked like fools when you walked in, but you look like good warriors now. I will now explain the next test.” The cadets all became serious at the mention of the next test. Beginning with the fourth test, they were now going to appoint those who passed to be Squad Leaders. This was where they would be trained as powerful warriors. “Beginning with the fourth test, there is no due date.” “Whoaaaa!” The cadets gasped with astonishment as they were glad to hear that they were now freed from meeting hard deadlines. Hameng grinned. “You can take the test individually whenever you want during the four years you are here in the Academy.” ‘Four years?’ This meant that the fourth test alone might take four years. The cadets became serious. “The fourth test is the simplest of all tests held here at the academy.” ‘Simple?’ The tests only got much harder as time went on, so there was something behind that. While the cadets were confused, Hameng grinned, “If you defeat any of the instructors at any time, you pass the test.” The instructors all glanced at cadets, asking to threaten them at any time. The cadets were startled. They barely defeated one instructor with the twelve of them teaming up to form a formation. But to defeat an instructor alone, it only meant one thing. ‘Become a master level warrior.’ That was the basic requirement to become an instructor. However, most instructors were well into the late master level. ‘It’s obvious.’ Yeowun nodded as he understood the requirement. However, the cadets didn’t seem to be too eager. There were some who were barely at the topclass level who were concerned, not to mention the other cadets who were either reaching the master level, or those who were at the master level already. ‘Dammit! This is crazy! Even the leaders cannot defeat the instructors who only used the Seven Demon Sword. How can we defeat them?’ ‘Our leader barely got the yellow tag!’ ‘It’s okay, we’ve got enough time.’ ‘Didn’t you hear? You have to train yourself!’ Becoming a top-class warrior was easy if given enough energy and martial arts. However, becoming a master was different since it required the understanding of qi. There were many warriors who did not have the talent to understand qi, and that stopped them from reaching the master level. This meant that the fourth test was to see if they were worthy to be more powerful. “And I will warn you again. As I said in the beginning, you will be expelled the moment you fail the test.” There was only one chance for the test. If the instructor used their own martial arts, then it was going to be much harder this time around. Lee Hameng then explained the other facilities that were now available for use and ordered them to be dismissed. “You are now dismissed. I wish all of you good luck.” “Mado!!” The cadets all shouted in unison and began to scatter. However, most of the cadets went to a similar destination. Those who wanted to increase their energy went to the private training room, and those who wanted more powerful skill books went to the library. Yeowun and his members all stayed behind and gathered. This was to say goodbye to those who had failed the test. “Master, thank you for everything.” “We would not have gotten the chance to take the test if it wasn’t for you.” “I will wait for you outside, Master.” Members bowed to Yeowun, and as they all said farewell to each other, someone called out Yeowun’s number from behind. “7th cadet!” “Huh?” Everyone turned to the voice. The one who called Yeowun was instructor Sang Munyo who had to stay in the medical room for three weeks after his rib fracture from Yeowun. Sang Munyo didn’t look all that friendly while talking to him. “Follow me to the main building.” “What is it?” “Do you have the right to ask me questions?” “…Yes, sir.” It was weird that he was telling him to follow, but Yeowun had a guess. Maybe the Chief was calling him because of what happened a while ago. Yeowun told his members to go back without him and followed Sang Munyo into the building. ‘Huh?’ Unlike his expectations, Sang Munyo walked past the building and went toward one of the buildings that was not available to the cadets yet. When they arrived at empty space where no one was around, Sang Munyo stopped. “This seems like a good place.” Yeowun realized that something was strange and said, “…So, the Chief didn’t call me.” “Did I tell you that the Chief wanted to see you?” He didn’t of course. However, it seemed like his intentions weren’t good either. And the expectation was correct this time. Sang Munyo pulled out his blade and aimed at Chun Yeowun. Yeowun looked at him coldly, “What is this?” “What is this- you said? Bastard. Listen carefully. You just challenged me for the fourth test here. That’s how this will end.” And Munyo swung his blade against Yeowun’s neck without warning. Chapter 98 Chapter 98: Just happened on its own (3) Sang Munyo woke up three days later in the medical room. His bone was sticking out of his skin, so he was in quite a serious sate. When he woke up, he was even angrier and furious that he had lost to a mere cadet. ‘This is so embarrassing!’ He had lost in front of many instructors and cadets. Sang Munyo was a very ambitious man who cared about his honor and pride, so this was humiliating. And such humiliation turned it into a fit of anger. ‘If I could only use my skill…’ He was restricted to only using the Seven Demon Sword that he wasn’t good at fighting with. If he was only allowed to use his own skill, then he was certain that he could defeat Yeowun within ten formations. Even if Yeowun was powerful, he had merely just become a master warrior. Munyo gritted his teeth as he thought about getting revenge. He thought to kick out of Yeowun as soon as he got out of the medical room, and the day finally arrived. He wished Yeowun would pass the test since he knew that the next test was the duel between the cadets and instructors. This was the perfect chance to find Yeowun and kick him out himself. He had waited for so long that he now had lost all patience to wait for Yeowun to come to challenge him. ‘Do I need to wait for him to challenge me? I’ll just beat him up bad so he can’t talk, and tell everyone that he challenged me later.’ If he shocked the brain and damaged it, then Yeowun would not be able to keep his sanity to speak the truth. Moreover, it didn’t seem like anyone would blame him for injuring cadets like Yeowun who did not have a special background like the princes from the six clans. ‘Fool. I’ll make it so that you can never wield a sword again!’ Munyo swung his blade without warning at Yeowun’s neck. He didn’t think Yeowun would be stronger than him, but he remembered that the sword skill that Yeowun used last time was quite powerful. ‘I’ll ambush him so I can put him down quickly.’ No one was watching either, so he didn’t hesitate about ambushing him. When the blade almost reached Yeowun’s neck… ‘Huh?’ Yeowun’s blade defended against his sudden attack. It was so quick that Munyo was shocked and glared at him. Yeowun then looked at Munyo coldly and said, “Good. Don’t take back what you just said.” “W-what?!” “You said that this is the fourth test.” Munyo couldn’t hear what Yeouwn was saying now. He became angry that Yeowun had blocked his attack and so he unleashed all of his entire energy to push Yeowun back. Yet, he didn’t even budge. It was actually his hand that held the blade that was shaking now. ‘His power… but how?’ Sang Munyo was at the master level. His energy was not something that an entry-level master warrior like Chun Yeowun could defend against. However, he defended against it and didn’t even budge. ‘Did his internal energy increase in that short amount of time?’ That’s when Yeowun’s blade unleashed its energy, throwing Munyo’s blade back. Munyo was pushed back and the hand he held his blade with actually felt pain from the energy that sent his blade back. Munyo, who was excited until now just thinking about getting his revenge, became shocked and grimaced at the realization. ‘He’s gotten much stronger!’ He didn’t think Yeowun would have gotten this strong in such a short amount of time. Considering the shock he received just now, Yeowun had at least the same amount of internal energy as Munyo himself. It was unbelievable. ‘How can he become so powerful in just a few weeks?’ Yeowun did not consume any more Black Dragon Balls after he had dueled him, so it was weird. Of course, this was due to the Poison Clan’s leader, Baek Oh. The use of poison ball had actually increased Yeowun’s energy instead of decreasing it. But there was no way for Sang Munyo to know about this. ‘Whew… let’s keep calm. Just because he has more internal energy doesn’t make him a master level warrior.’ To reach the master level, one had to understand qi to be able to use qi freely. Just having more energy didn’t mean Yeowun was as powerful as Munyo himself since there was no way Yeowun could have acquired such deep understanding in such a short amount of time. “Hah! So, you’ve gotten a bit more powerful. I won’t go easy on you then!” “Sure.” “A-arrogant fool!” Sang Munyo was provoked by Yeowun’s casual nod and he sent qi to his blade. The blade shone brightly with the white light of qi. Munyo felt a strong urge to cut off Yeowun’s arm at least to make this anger subside. “Hah!” Munyo charged in, unleashing his Blade skill. His blade divided into two, coming down at Yeowun at once. ‘It’s fast. But…’ It was much slower than the Butterfly Blade Dance. Yeowun’s body spun quickly and the blade in his hand left a trace and defended the blade attack coming down at him. It was the second formation of the Butterfly Blade Dance. Sang Munyo’s eye grew wide with shock. ‘He blocked this?! H-how…!’ Munyo then saw the clear white qi on Yeowun’s blade. Its shape wasn’t perfect yet, but it was proof that Yeowun was an established master. Chapter 99 Chapter 99: Just happened on its own (4) ‘H-he’s not entry master level!’ Sang Munyo became shocked and tried to back away. If Yeowun’s strength was equal to his, then Munyo needed to fight carefully. That’s when Yeowun charged in like lightning, unleashing the sixth formation of the Butterfly Blade Dance against Munyo. “Argh!” Munyo swung his blade defensively, but the blade came at him like a butterfly leaving traces, making his eyes dizzy. It was much faster than his own blade. Munyo’s blade was thrown away, ripping Munyo’s palm. As Yeowun did not stop on his blade formation, Munyo quickly shouted, “I-I lost! You passed the test. Stop now!” It was not a matter of pride anymore. It seemed like Yeowun’s blade was coming at him as if it would kill for real. Yeowun’s blade stopped in front of Munyo’s nose. “Hah… hah…” Munyo’s face was drenched in sweat. Yeowun asked suspiciously, “Did I pass the fourth test?” Holding up his both hands, he stuttered, “Y-yes. You won, so let’s stop it here.” It was to signal to him that he had given up, but it was actually a scheme. Munyo decided to change his method now since he knew he couldn’t just defeat Yeowun with the normal way. ‘I would die rather than have you pass the test!’ If he were to let Yeowun safely go, then there was the risk of letting everyone know that Munyo ambushed him alone. Munyo gathered the energy in both of his hands. He was going to strike Yeowun’s head as soon as he pulled back his blade. “Okay.” ‘Good!’ As Yeowun retrieved his blade and placed it back into the scabbard, Munyo narrowed his eyes. However, at that moment, Yeowun’s fist struck his body, throwing him back. The sheer strength of the attack blew him away. Munyo became dumbfounded. “H-how…” “You should’ve hidden the energy from your hand if you were going to lie.” “H-how did you know…!” Munyo was so shocked that he stuttered. How did Yeowun know when the energy wasn’t let out of his hand? The energy scattered away from his both hands as he lost will to secretly attack him. [Energy focused in the enemy’s hands no longer detected. Lowering risk level.] There was no way Sang Munyo to know about Nano’s ability to sense danger. Yeowun then came up to him with a cold look on his face. Full of fear, Munyo exclaimed, “I-I’m sorry. I’m not lying anymore. I accept my loss! I’ll go tell the Chief that you passed the… AAAARGH!” Before Munyo finished speaking, Yeowun stepped on his right rib, crushing his bones. The rib bone that barely healed after three weeks of rest and meditation was gone. Yeowun glowered at Munyo. “You should’ve done that before. It’s too late.” Munyo became grim with despair. Yeowun then stomped on Munyo’s left chest, crushing all the left rib bones also. After about an hour, instructors gathered at the Chief’s office to create a report on the third test. However, they were now sympathetically looking down at someone who was slumped down on the floor. It was Instructor Sang Munyo. “Hmph.” Lee Hameng, who was sitting down on his chair, looked down at Munyo embarrassingly. Chun Yeowun had brought Sang Munyo here on his shoulders a while ago. Sang Munyo had already passed out and Yeowun, who came together with guards who helped him to carry Munyo, put down Munyo on the office floor and explained what happened. ‘I knew he would do something…’ ‘Thinking of getting revenge against cadet? What a fool.’ Most of the instructors seemed dumbfounded and were lost for words at what Munyo did. They needed to hear both sides of stories in most cases, but it didn’t seem like it was necessary for this one. The fourth test required the cadets to duel against an instructor anyway. If Munyo ambushed Yeowun, then he was going to be cast out from the academy. If Yeowun challenged him, then he would’ve just passed the test. ‘…He did just enough.’ Even if Sang Munyo attacked him first, if Yeowun cut his arm off or did anything too terrible, it might have angered instructors. However, Yeowun destroyed all of his ribs so that it wasn’t too obvious. ‘He’s learning.’ This meant that Yeowun was now learning to look after himself. Hameng wanted to compliment him on this, but he couldn’t say this in front of all the instructors. Hou Jinchang spoke up first. “Well, he still… passed.” Lee Hameng also grinned and nodded. So, throughout the entire history of the Demonic Academy, this was the fastest record for a cadet to pass the fourth test: just an hour after the third test. ‘Well, it was only a matter of time anyway.’ Yeowun was able to defeat the criminal who used the Art of Blood Reversion and pushed back Hou Jinchang. Hameng took something out from his desk and threw it at Chun Yeowun. “Take this.” “Huh?” It was a silver medal with the word ‘L’ written on it, proving his status as a Squad Leader. Hameng went up to him and took the black number tag off from his chest. “Congratulations on passing the fourth test in the shortest amount of time, Squad Leader Chun Yeowun.” Exactly after two months, Yeowun was now able to regain his name from being the 7th cadet. He now had earned the title of Squad Leader. ‘Oh! I can look at the pedestals on the third and fourth floors then!’ This was what excited Yeowun most. On the second floor medical room, Baek Jongmeng was looking down at instructor Sang Munyo with a sympathetic look on his face. “I thought you wanted to leave this place as soon as possible? Poor guy.” Chapter 100 Chapter 100: Earn the right to take the test (1) When the cadet enters the academy, cadet was then started being called with the number given at the first day. It is until the cadet passes fourth test and earns the title of a Squad Leader that cadet is freed from the number. And with being Squad Leader, cadet is then placed as the same rank with instructors. The reason why cadets tried so hard to pass each test in Academy was that it was fastest route to rise to the higher hierarchy of the Cult. “Here you go.” Instructor Impeng handed over a small wooden box that contained another black dragon ball. By passing the fourth test almost immediately, Yeowun was able to receive another ball. “Congratulations on becoming a squad leader, Leader Chun.” Impeng spoke with very polite tone. He was now treating Yeowun as a equal, not as a mere cadet. “Thank you, instructor.” Impeng smiled and nodded. He didn’t expect Yeowun will pass the fourth test in such short amount of time. Of course, part of it was due to Sang Munyo. There were two more privilege given to the one who passed the fourth test. It was that person was given a private room to stay. “Is that for real?” “…Do you like it that much?” Yeowun seemed to like it more than when he received the tag that proved him as a squad leader. It was because Yeowun was awkward while sharing boy’s dormitory with a girl, Mun Ku. And another privilege was something that he didn’t expect. “Come to the blacksmith station at north, tomorrow morning.” “Blacksmith?” Yeowun became confused and senior instructor Hou Jinchang explained. “We craft a weapon of choice for squad leader who passed the fourth test. I think this is one you need the most at the moment. Haha.” Master level warriors were given privilege wherever they go and even in the academy, such privilege came as a crafting unique weapon for new squad leader. Yeowun was glad to hear as he didn’t have his own weapon until now. “Ohh!” The reward given to cadets going up through the test were definitely worth it. It was a process that was set in place to raise powerful warriors, so it provided to be so. Left Guardian Lee Hameng then spoke to Yeowun when everything was done. “Then I will explain to you about the fifth test.” Lee Hameng turned back to his authoritative tone. Even if Yeowun had become a squad leader, Hameng was a guardian so he was still in much higher rank, so it didn’t matter. ‘Fifth test…’ Yeowun didn’t think he would hear about fifth test so early. He heard that tests became exponentially harder beginning with fifth test, that there weren’t many who passed it. He was able to pass the fourth test easily as Yeowun was at the peak of a master level. “Fifth test, is to pass the Demon Seal Cavern.” Yeowun became confused. Demon Seal Cavern was one of the place that wasn’t open for cadets yet. It was located at far north of the academy, where there was a ragged building that says ‘Demon Seal Cavern’ in front. “Can I take the test anytime, just like fourth test?” “Yes. But you need to be worthy of it, to be given a chance to take it.” “Worthy of…?” Yeowun asked and Hameng looked back at Yeowun. “You need to be at the peak of grandmaster level.” Yeowun was lost for word at that. He did expect he will be required to be more powerful, but he didn’t think it would require such high level of power. To hit the peak of grandmaster level, Yeowun needed to jump up at least three stage of power from now. It wasn’t easy. And considering only top 100 warriors within the entire Cult was at grandmaster level, it proved how difficult it is to become so powerful. There were only about ten average cadets who passed the fifth test in entire Academy’s history. Maybe four years might not even be enough time. ‘…It will be hard. It might take too much time.’ It wasn’t sure how difficult the Demon Seal Cavern is, to require such powerful state. “If you hurry, you will not find understanding. Don’t rush into things.” Lee Hameng gave a short advice, but he was sincere in his words. The academy’s purpose was to raise powerful warriors. Having more grandmaster level warrior meant that cult will grow more powerful, so Hameng wished Yeowun will become such powerful soon. “Then that is all. I wish you luck.” “Thank you, sir. I will not fail you.” Yeowun bowed. “You are dismissed.” Lee Hameng spoke and Yeowun left. Instructors all sighed, as they now had to go back to their menial documentation task. And Yeowun, who heard about fifth test, walked immediately toward the library building. ‘I can see the fourth and third floor now!’ Yeowun was most interested in sword formations of Sword Force of Sky Demon left on the blue pearl stone pedestal on upper floor. “Oh.” Instructor who was taking care of cadets entering the library immediately recognized Chun Yeowun. Yeowun was one of black tag prince, and also went into first and second floor on the same day, so it was natural that he remembered. ‘Huh? He left the tag.’ Instructor shook his head. All cadets were required to have tags on their chest, to show their status. Instructor stopped Yeowun who was trying to write down his name on the booklet and spoke. “Where is your tag?” “I returned it.” “Return? Did you not pass the test?” Instructor frowned at that. He had mistaken that word for Yeowun having failed the test. Yeowun then took out the silver medal from his pocket and showed it to the instructor. “Huh?” It had the word L written on it, which made instructor to become dumbfounded. He knew that it proved Yeowun was a squad leader. “D-did you pass the fourth test?!