Chapter 118 - 117: Cheating
Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Cheating
"CLANG!"
The crisp sound of Wooden Swords clashing echoed through the training grounds.
Zelir’s first strike was powerful and heavy, aimed straight down the middle, but Gray easily parried it with a deft sideways slice.
With a flick of his wrist, Gray’s sword darted toward Zelir’s flank.
His body, enhanced by the Magic Contract, boasted greatly increased agility. Zelir twisted away just in the nick of time, simultaneously forcing Gray to retreat half a step with a backhanded horizontal sweep.
The brief exchange of feelers was over. The real fight had begun!
Zelir’s offense was fierce, his movements broad and powerful.
He flawlessly combined the new Slicing Technique he had learned with his own immense Power, each swing whistling through the air.
And while Gray was mostly on the defensive, he always managed to neutralize Zelir’s ferocious attacks with precise movements at the most critical moments, and then counterattack.
For a moment, the training ground was a flurry of flashing swords. The transitions between offense and defense were dizzyingly fast, and the clashing of Wooden Swords blurred into a single, rapid drumbeat.
Marcus and Valles perked up. They had originally thought this was just going to be a one-sided instructional session.
To their surprise, Zelir actually had some real skill.
"How many days has it been?"
Marcus’s voice was filled with astonishment.
"And Zelir can already hold his own against Gray like this? For real?"
"What else can you say? The guy’s a genius."
Valles pursed his lips. "How long did it take you to get started when you were learning the blade?"
"Probably a good half-year... but that was mostly physical conditioning first."
Marcus recalled.
"Then it was just lifting my Shield, slashing, and charging, day in and day out. It was boring as hell. Back then, the Instructor called me as dumb as a goblin every day."
"I bet on Zelir to win."
Valles said. "Five Silver Coins."
"Honestly, I want to bet on Zelir too, but that wouldn’t make for much of a wager, would it?"
Marcus chuckled. "In that case, I’ll bet on Gray."
On the field, Gray’s hearing was excellent. He heard every single word of their conversation.
His previously relaxed expression stiffened for a moment.
’Dammit... so neither of you thinks I can win, huh?’ Gray cursed inwardly.
’I’ll show you what a real gap in Swordsmanship looks like!’
After another fierce exchange, the two briefly separated.
Zelir’s arms were slightly numb, and the web between his thumb and forefinger even throbbed with pain from the impacts.
He took a deep breath, channeled all his Power into his arms, and stamped forward, once again bringing his sword down in an overhead diagonal slash!
Gray held his Wooden Sword diagonally before him.
He had found an incredibly clever angle for his block. The moment Zelir’s sword struck his own, he used the momentum to deflect the blade.
"CLANG!"
Zelir felt an irresistible, skillful force travel up from his blade, knocking his Wooden Sword aside and leaving his entire center exposed.
A massive opening was exposed in an instant.
’It’s over...’
Gray stepped forward, slashing toward the abdomen.
However, just as Gray’s confident, decisive strike was about to hit Zelir’s body, the sword’s momentum suddenly stalled.
His attack had been forcibly deflected by a strange, yielding force.
Fog Flowing Gauze!
’Now’s my chance!’
Zelir seized the fleeting opportunity, spinning with the force that had deflected Gray’s blade and delivering a backhanded horizontal slash.
"THWACK."
The Wooden Sword struck Gray squarely in the chest!
On the training ground, the dust settled.
In an unarmored duel, a single touch of a Wooden Sword to the torso was enough to decide victory or defeat.
"Hiss..."
Gray cried out in pain, clutching the reddened spot on his chest and grimacing.
"Hey, using Magic is cheating!"
"Hehe."
Zelir lowered his sword and stood tall, a triumphant smile on his face. "It’s called tactics."
"Alright, alright..."
Gray waved his hand dismissively. "By my standards, your Swordsmanship is still green... but you’ve definitely made huge progress."
"Add that bizarre Magic Shield to the mix, and you could probably beat up any ordinary Junior Professional now."
"I win."
Valles clapped Marcus on the chest and took the five Silver Coins from his hand.
"Zelir used Magic. By all rights, that should mean Gray won, right?"
Marcus followed him, exasperated. "How come you’re cheating too?"
"Gray was hit square on. He lost. The bet didn’t say anything about no Magic."
Valles walked over to the two of them. "Not bad, Zelir. Now you’ve even got some Swordsmanship skills."
"Just a little progress," Zelir said with a smile.
"Seriously, with that Magic Shield, I feel like you could stand in front of Marcus on our next mission."
Valles said, "You could even take over his job as the Vanguard."
"Hey, don’t just take my job away from me. That’s how I make a living," Marcus said.
"It won’t come to that... To be honest, it consumes a lot of Magic Power," Zelir said.
Marcus and Valles exchanged a glance. The same thought popped into both their minds.
’This Magic is powerful, alright.’
’But why does it feel... a little familiar?’
"Oh, right, Zelir. About the Monster Hunting Escort Team, the Adventurer’s Association has already notified us."
Marcus’s voice was full of sincere gratitude. "We have you to thank for stepping in. We wouldn’t have gotten such a good deal otherwise."
"I should be thanking you. This is a rare opportunity," Valles added.
"It was nothing," Zelir said with a wave of his hand.
"The Monster Hunting is still a few days away, and we can’t just sit around doing nothing. How about we go to the Adventurer’s Association and pick up a small quest? Just to warm up," Marcus suggested.
Zelir thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure."
’This is a good chance to see how my post-training Swordsmanship holds up in a real fight.’
...
「Adventurer’s Association.」
Inside the boisterous, noisy hall, the wave of heat seemed to briefly freeze when the four members of the Marcus Squad pushed open the door and entered.
The attention of most people present was immediately drawn to them.
Dozens of gazes—scrutinizing, jealous, and curious—fell upon the group all at once.
It wasn’t just because the Marcus Squad had been completing high-difficulty quests with astonishing efficiency lately.
It was also because of a bombshell rumor that had long been circulating privately within the Association—all of them had joined the Monster Hunting Escort Team!
News about the Mage’s Guild recruiting Adventurers had already spread, and everyone was talking about it.
The pay was enviably generous, all equipment costs were covered, and safety was guaranteed. You might even be able to network with some Mages. Could there be a more attractive commission?
Countless Adventurers were fighting tooth and nail for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but unfortunately, such a good thing was not destined for the majority.
Aside from the candidates hand-picked by the Mage’s Guild, only a very small number of spots were left for the Adventurer’s Association to decide on its own.
The Association, of course, wouldn’t hold a public recruitment for these precious few spots. Thus, an invisible, under-the-table war had already begun.