LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 6 - Thirst (1)
Chapter 6. Thirst (1)
The Black Sword Corps member stepped up as Yuri’s test opponent.
His perspective on Yuri was no different from others.
‘Why did the Unyielding Sword recommend this guy?’
Until now, the candidates he faced were all deemed geniuses or prodigies.
But look at the one in front of him.
‘Has he ever even held a sword?’
A piece of trash that couldn’t even grasp the basics.
That was the Black Sword Corps member’s judgment of Yuri.
But all such thoughts vanished the moment he faced the suddenly rising black figure.
No, the accurate expression was that he couldn’t think of anything at all.
‘What… is that?’
A black figure rising like smoke or flames.
Curved eye holes like a crescent moon and a large mouth tearing open wickedly.
The Black Sword Corps member, encountering the supreme state called ‘Incarnation’ for the first time, couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing.
‘A… monster?’
He could only call it a ‘monster’.
And the moment he stared into the sunken eye holes of the monster, a dreadful killing intent surged at him.
-Die! Die! Die…!
The monster’s killing intent turned into words and directly pierced the Black Sword Corps member’s brain.
It caused immense pain.
But the real ordeal was just beginning.
The intensity of the killing intent grew denser and denser.
-Die! Die! Die! Die!
“……?!”
Even as a mere low-ranking member of the Black Sword Corps, he had gone through hellish training.
He had crossed death’s threshold several times, believing he had the mental strength to easily overcome such killing intent.
But the current killing intent was different.
This wasn’t something he could overcome or endure.
-Die! Dieeeee!
The repetitive killing intent touched his soul.
Tremble, tremble.
The Black Sword Corps member’s body started shaking like an aspen tree, ignoring his will.
Clack, clack.
His teeth chattered rapidly.
In the face of irresistible fear, his body became paralyzed and his thoughts turned white.
Soon, his mind was filled with only one thought.
‘I’m going to die… I’m going to die… Dieee!’
Thud.
The sword slipped from the hands of the Black Sword Corps member who lost the will to live and rolled on the ground.
And the black monster.
Its torn mouth opened wide.
Hahaha!
The monster opened its mouth as if laughing, then expanded and lunged at the Black Sword Corps member.
“N-no?!”
“Aaaah!”
The ferocity of the black monster that covered the sky was overwhelming, and the Black Sword Corps member before it seemed utterly powerless.
People expected the Black Sword Corps member to be devoured alive by the monster.
But at that moment.
Swish.
A gentle breeze blew from somewhere.
Followed by a fierce gust of wind.
Whoosh.
“Ugh?!”
“What, what?!”
The strong wind blew people’s hair and even caused some to turn their heads.
Those who didn’t turn their heads witnessed a rare sight.
A pure white wind engulfing the black monster.
Swoosh.
-Grrrr!
The black monster struggled, trapped in the white wind.
The binding white wind.
The black monster trying to break free.
It was like watching a white Imoogi trying to devour a black beast.
The intense fight between black and white ended in futility.
Boom.
The black monster burst, unable to withstand the pressure of the white wind.
As a result, the black monster turned into a wisp of smoke and dispersed into the air.
While everyone was unable to react to the situation that happened in a blink of an eye.
Thud.
The Black Sword Corps member, who escaped death, collapsed with his eyes closed.
And Johan stood in front of the fallen Black Sword Corps member.
No one knew how or when he moved to that spot.
Johan appeared as if by magic from a legend.
People couldn’t understand what had happened, but instinctively realized one thing.
The moment the Black Sword Corps member was about to be devoured by the monster.
It was Johan Redner who raised the white wind and saved the Black Sword Corps member.
‘The Master chased away the monster!’
‘He saved the Black Sword Corps member!’
From the moment Yuri took the test to the Black Sword Corps member collapsing.
The process wasn’t long, but it was a series of shocking events that left the spectators speechless.
In the suffocating silence, Yuri’s knees buckled.
The boy’s body collapsed forward.
Thud.
Just as Yuri’s upper body was about to fall, he stabbed his sword into the ground, barely supporting himself.
He gave a slight smile toward Johan in front of him.
“Isn’t it cheating for the old man to intervene?”
His squeezed voice wasn’t loud, but everyone heard it.
Johan chuckled and replied.
“I couldn’t let an innocent corpse be made, right? It’s my responsibility.”
“Well, that’s true… So… what’s the result?”
“The answer should come from them.”
Johan gestured with his chin toward the Black Sword Corps members standing idly.
The spectators’ eyes naturally turned to the Black Sword Corps members due to their conversation.
Curiosity filled their eyes about what judgment the Black Sword Corps members would make.
Amidst the hundreds of gazes, the silent Black Sword Eight leader finally spoke.
“Standard… judgment impossible.”
Judgment impossible.
As a test examiner of the Cradle, it was a somewhat irresponsible conclusion.
But anyone who had seen ‘that’ would not dispute the leader’s judgment.
After watching Yuri for a moment, the Black Sword Eight leader announced his evaluation.
“Beyond standard, special.”
After the leader’s evaluation, the evaluations of the Black Sword Corps members followed.
“Standard judgment impossible, beyond standard, special.”
“Standard judgment impossible, beyond standard, special.”
“Standard judgment impossible, beyond standard, special.”
All except the fainted Black Sword Corps member gave the same evaluation as the Black Sword Eight leader.
Even if the fainted Black Sword Corps member had been awake, he would have given the same evaluation.
Summarizing the opinions, the Black Sword Eight leader made a conclusion.
“Composite standard: Special… Passed.”
The Black Sword Corps member who made the judgment pulled out a Dragon Plaque from his pocket.
It was the same black Dragon Plaque that Johan had tossed before the test.
In the eyes of the Black Sword Eight leader who took it out, there was a touch of sentiment.
‘I never thought a day would come when I would hand this over with my own hands.’
Various Dragon Plaques were issued to the Black Sword Eight leader who acted as an examiner of the Cradle.
Countless Dragon Plaques had passed through the leader’s hands to successful candidates, but this was the first time he had taken out a Black Dragon Plaque.
‘Wasn’t it two years ago that the last Black Dragon Plaque was issued?’
Countless people had passed through the Dragon’s Cradle, but among them, only nine had held the Black Dragon Plaque.
‘I thought there wouldn’t be a new holder of the Black Dragon Plaque for a while after the ninth one.’
Yet, a new holder of the Black Dragon Plaque had emerged in just two years.
‘The tenth Black Dragon Plaque holder.’
Not all masters held the Black Dragon Plaque, but only two who received it recently had not become masters.
Of course, the Cradle’s analysis was that those two would eventually reach the rank of master someday.
In other words, the Black Dragon Plaque was a symbol guaranteeing a future master.
The Black Sword Eight leader solemnly handed over the Black Dragon Plaque.
“Congratulations on becoming the holder of the Black Dragon Plaque.”
Yuri accepted the Black Dragon Plaque nonchalantly from the leader.
Then he threw the Black Dragon Plaque straight at Johan.
Thunk.
The Black Dragon Plaque landed near Johan’s prosthetic leg.
Everyone watching the scene widened their eyes in surprise.
Meanwhile, Yuri asked as if nothing had happened.
“…Old man, they said I passed?”
“I heard it too.”
“Does that mean I pass your standards as well?”
“I suppose so.”
“Then it’s your turn to keep your promise. If everything you told me was a lie…”
Cough.
Yuri stopped talking for a moment as blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain.
He wiped his bloodstained lips and glared at Johan with fierce eyes.
“You better… be prepared.”
A threat to a master, no less.
With that, Yuri’s vision went black, and his body collapsed to the ground like a wet doll.
Thud.
Even then, the audience remained silent, still not recovered from their shock.
Only one person.
Johan, smiling broadly, opened his mouth.
“That little rascal’s got quite a temper.”
Johan’s eyes, looking at the unconscious Yuri, were filled with joy.
* * *
‘Ugh…’
Yuri’s consciousness slowly returned.
The first sense to awaken was his hearing.
Crackle, crackle.
The sound of logs burning.
Soon, the smell of meat roasting invaded his nose, stimulating his sense of smell.
The scent of meat, which he hadn’t smelled in a long time, made Yuri’s eyes snap open.
‘…Where is this?’
He blinked continuously, clearing his blurry vision.
Through the orange light of the campfire, a familiar ceiling came into view.
Then he realized where he was lying.
‘My… cave?’
The place he had awakened in was none other than the hideout he had stayed in for the past six months.
A cave located on the cliff outskirts of the Irons territory.
A place so difficult for ordinary people to find, and even if they did, too dangerous to enter.
The problem was that until now, Yuri had kept his hideout secret from everyone.
Naturally, he had never told anyone about it.
‘How did I get here…?’
He had no memory of walking here on his own.
As he stared blankly at the ceiling, the events before he fainted flashed through his mind like a panorama.
The test with the Black Sword Corps and the Cradle.
And the deal with the Unyielding Sword, Johan Redner.
Recalling this, Yuri abruptly sat up.
“Cough!”
Rising too quickly made him cough.
As he clutched his chest, a familiar voice flowed into his ears.
“Youngsters sure are resilient. If it were me, I would have been bedridden for nine days.”
“Cough!”
Yuri, who coughed again, checked his physical condition.
‘Considering I overdid it, it’s not bad. No, it’s surprisingly good.’
He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this well.
Feeling no abnormalities, Yuri turned his gaze.
Crackle, crackle.
The burning campfire and an unwelcome guest sitting nearby.
Yuri glared at him and asked.
“Old man… How did you know about this place?”
“How did I know? I followed you.”
“Since when?”
“Since you were beating those guys in the alley.”
That meant he had been following him since the altercation with Dutch and his gang the previous day.
Yuri gave a look of disbelief, but Johan, completely unfazed, spoke.
“What were you thinking, making a home in such a dangerous place?”
“I did it to avoid getting tangled with people like you.”
“Stop being so prickly, kid. I carried you here when you passed out.”
“…”
Yuri’s mouth clamped shut, and Johan gestured.
“Now that you’re awake, come and eat this.”
Johan handed Yuri a piece of roasted meat, which appeared to be from a rabbit.
Feeling an extreme hunger, Yuri quickly got up, took the meat, and devoured it hastily while Johan began eating his share.
Crackle, crackle.
The sound of burning logs and the two of them eating echoed in the cave.
Yuri finished his portion in no time.
Wiping his greasy lips, he asked.
“Old man, don’t we have something to settle?”
Yuri’s eyes glimmered calmly as he posed the question.