Chapter 139: Stage 2
Of course. Delilah’s trials were never meant to be smooth sailing. The beginning of Stage 2 had finally arrived. Compared to Stage 1, it was hell itself.
“Damn it!” someone shouted.
And then…
“Arrows instead of orbs now?!”
“This will hurt a lot if it hits! Damn it, now I can’t even get eliminated if I wanted to!”
“Vladimir! Is that what you should be saying right now?!”
The team began to scream.
—Shoom! Swoosh!
The arrows launched from the wall mechanisms barely missed the team members. The ease on their faces vanished.
“Ahhh! Ahhhh!”
“Damn it! Is this Aranballon’s soldiers season two?!”
—Swoosh! Shoom!
Of course, these arrows weren’t as fast or powerful as the bolts fired by the spartoi. But the meaning of these arrows was different. Back then, we could block them, and their angles were fixed. Now, we had to dodge, and the angles were unpredictable.
“Hey, team leader! Do something! At this rate, we’ll all be eliminated soon!”
“Hm.” I furrowed my brows.
—Swish!
I twisted my body swiftly, and an arrow rushed past me, razor-sharp. The speed was brutal.
Damn it.
With 24 hours already passed and training still necessary, only one thought came to mind.
The old man.
[Using skill ‘Teaching of All Techniques’ (S-rank).]
[Consuming 20 energy.]
[Summoning ‘Master of All Techniques.’]
I had to admit that I relied heavily on the old man.
“Hmm.” The white-haired elder materialized in the air. “You seem to call on me only during crises lately… What is it this time?”
I’m sorry, Elder. But what can I say? Every day feels like a crisis.
I activated the Great Blue Heart Technique to spread my ki.
—Shoom! Swoosh!
The arrows flew at such blinding speed that relying on ki was far more effective for precise dodging.
Besides, don’t you enjoy situations like this? It’s an opportunity to advance the All Techniques.
Lately, I hadn’t been able to receive his massages or lessons about the All Techniques. Normally, he would’ve grumbled, but this time, the old man said nothing. In fact, he seemed pleased. He must have judged that the current situation was far more beneficial than any training he could give.
“Tsk, let me take a look.” The old man calmly crossed his arms, observing my movements. “Judging at first sight, the arrows’ speed differs from one to another, does it not?”
As expected. Was this the insight of an absolute being of a world? The moment he appeared, the old man immediately grasped the essence of this dungeon.
“About 50% of your limits is being tested. And as you dodge one arrow, another faster and more difficult one follows.”
Only 50% of my limit? This?
I frowned. I didn’t say it aloud, but my body was already extremely busy.
—Shoom! Swoosh! Swoosh!
I moved frantically to dodge the arrows slicing through the air. And yet this was only 50%?
“Indeed.” The old man nodded. “Lad, don’t underestimate human potential. Your potential especially surpasses others. All thanks to training with the All Techniques, I’m sure.”
That sounds like good news, but it’s not. I muttered internally.
Why? Because, potential or not, I was struggling so much right now I felt like I could die.
“Well, this is good timing.”
Pardon?
“This is perfect timing. There’s a footwork technique I wanted to teach you, and the environment is just right.”
What?!
Right now? More training?
Elder, this is a real combat situation!
—Swish! Swoosh!
Even a graze from one of those incoming arrows would mean elimination. This wasn’t the time for trial-and-error training.
“You fool. The All Techniques does not distinguish between training and real combat. That’s why it’s the best.”
Is that… true?
“The technique I’ll teach you is called Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork. A footwork technique I created, unparalleled under heaven.”
What kind of name is that?
Like the Grand Technique of the Celestial Artisan, this one also sounded like a mishmash of fancy words.
“Don’t focus too much on the name, boy. A third-rate technique, a second-rate technique—if mastered to the extreme, they’re all the same. A name is just a label.”
Uh… Alright, sure. Let’s go with that.
“Good. Watch closely now.” The old man moved to where I could see him. “From now on, imitate my movements slowly.”
—Step.
The old man began to move, but to me, his steps looked clumsy and awkward.
Seriously?
“You brat. Have some faith in your teacher!”
Yes, sir.
Although doubtful, I followed his instructions. The old man was trying to resolve his regrets through me. If he taught me something, I figured it could only be beneficial.
“Good. Keep following my moves. You must dodge using this footwork. It will form the foundation for turning efficiently in any desired direction later.”
Understood.
I mimicked his movements.
—Shoom! Swoosh!
Dodging became slightly harder than before, but I had to focus. One mistake would mean elimination, and that was as good as death.
“Hey, team leader?”
The team members turned to look at me. Some had puzzled expressions, others seemed desperate.
“Hoon? Are you okay?”
“What are you doing? We’re barely managing to dodge, and if you’re the first to fall, we’ll all be screwed! You know that, right?”
“I know,” I responded quickly. “We’re pressed for time, so deal with it however you can! If you can spare the focus, feel free to copy my movements!”
“That footwork…?”
“Yes, but only if you can. No pressure!”
“…”
Everyone looked bewildered. Well, no wonder—even I wasn’t sure if this was the right move.
So I left it up to them—learn it if you want or don’t. The All Techniques was meant to be passed on to only one person anyway. Even if someone learned one of these techniques, it was just a fraction of the whole.
Moreover…
No matter what technique one learned, at its peak, all would reach the same destination—that was the essence of All Techniques. The critical factors were the learner and the teacher. That was why the old man had been so desperate to find a genius.
—Step! Step!
The old man demonstrated the footwork while nodding.
“Your comrades are good people. Teach them sincerely if you must. I’ve learned in life that hoarding everything for yourself doesn’t bring happiness. Receiving help and giving help—that’s life. You don’t need to share everything, but a little generosity won’t hurt.”
Yes, Elder. I nodded. Only to those who can follow, though.
After all, this footwork was peculiar enough that only those with strong trust would even attempt it.
“…Hmm.”
The team members squinted skeptically.
“That movement looks… odd.”
“Well, if Hoon says we should, we should.”
“Fine! But if I get eliminated trying this, don’t blame me, Leader!”
They began mimicking my movements one by one. Step by step, they tried to dodge the arrows using the footwork.
“…?” I was surprised.
Were they actually managing to copy this? If so, they had potential. Like me, they were willing to do anything to grow stronger.
“Huff, huff!”
Thus began the peculiar movements of seven people.
—Swoosh! Swoosh!
The arrows flew faster as the breathing grew harsher.
“Haaah, huff!” I followed the old man’s movements.
“The stronger you become, the more important every movement will be. Even a single step must prepare you for surprise attacks and potential counterattacks.”
The old man demonstrated ten postures in total, eight in each direction, up, and down. They were all efficient transitional movements.
“Observe.” He moved—all the steps he had taught me so far fused into one. “When the fundamentals are in place, you can evade all attacks with minimal movement and efficient energy use.”
He continued walking. His movements were no longer clumsy but natural and fluid—simple and natural steps. But the results were extraordinary.
Wow.
I was awestruck. He weaved through the hail of arrows effortlessly. The others and I also dodged the arrows aimed at us.
“From now on, master this footwork until you surpass your limits.”
—Thump-thump.
My heart pounded as a thrill ran through me.
Yes, Elder! This is what you should’ve shown me earlier—a cool technique like this one! After all, I would live and die by this coolness!
With renewed passion, I followed his lead.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator – Dawn
Proofreader – BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
—Ring!
[You have acquired the skill ‘Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork’ (C-rank)!]
[This skill has the potential for further growth.]
“…Huff, huff!”
Three hours had passed, and I was drenched in sweat. My muscles screamed in protest. Two hours earlier, the old man had disappeared. I moved, recalling his residual image.
“Huff, huff… Leader…?”
“Hoon? What is this? I just copied your movements, and a skill popped up—Heaven’s Finest Footwork?”
“…Heaven’s Finest? Mine says just Ultimate Invincible Footwork. Whew!”
“Mine says Heaven’s Invincible Footwork. It pairs perfectly with my swordsmanship!”
My teammates began acquiring the skill one by one. Interestingly, while my skill name was the full version, theirs lacked certain elements. Perhaps this was the difference between directly observing the old man and mimicking my imperfect form. I didn’t know, and the old man probably didn’t either—only the system would know.
“Keep going! It’s still C-Rank!” I shouted. “Don’t stop until your body reaches its limit. Push until you think you can’t move any more!”
This was only Stage 2. I didn’t know how many stages there were, but I was certain this wasn’t the end. Why?
Because it’s starting to feel easier.
The power of the old man’s footwork was extraordinary. Even as the arrows grew faster, dodging became easier. I evaded them with minimal effort. So I couldn’t afford to stop yet.
“Of course, if you’re exhausted, feel free to stop. I’ll hold the line.”
At my muttered words, Vladimir snorted. “Like hell we’ll let that happen. This might be called a team trial, but it’s really a solo competition, isn’t it?”
True. This wasn’t really a team trial. It wasn’t really a solo one either—it was just training. But if there were anyone to compete with, it was probably ourselves—the part of us that wanted to quit.
“Huff, whew!” Olena panted heavily. “Yes! Even if we quit, it won’t be now! Huff…!”
Yes, this was a battle against ourselves.
“That’s right! Let’s hang in there, everyone! We’ll endure to the end—what’s the worst that could happen? Dying?”
“Exactly! Remember the fight with the dragon? Compared to that, this is manageable! Even if my heart feels like it’s going to burst…!”
Each member shouted words of encouragement, and a smile spread across my face.
Indeed, marching alone was tough, but marching with others was comforting. That was what comrades and allies were for. Their presence undeniably had a positive effect. Normally, I would’ve been tired by now, but somehow, I felt energized.
And so, we kept moving.
—Ring!
[Skill ‘Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork’ (C-rank) has been upgraded.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork’ (B-rank)!]
[This skill has the potential for further growth.]
Ten hours later, our skills had reached B-Rank.
—Ring!
[Skill ‘Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork’ (B-rank), has been upgraded.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Heaven’s Ultimate Invincible Footwork’ (A-rank)!]
[This skill has the potential for further growth.]
And by the end of the day, our skills had reached A-Rank.
“Huff, huff!”
[24 hours have passed.]
[Transitioning to Stage 3.]
—Thud.
And as soon as our skills reached A-rank, the rain of arrows finally stopped.
