I remember the first time I fought him.

He had conceded several conditions, such as no internal energy, using only his left hand, and a three-move head start.

And so, I was barely able to win in a bet, not even a duel.

I was that much of a novice.

But now it was different. Rather, it was Jeong Muk who had asked me for a concession.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t use artifacts and sorcery.”

“You’re telling me to fight with my hands tied behind my back. Why should I?”

“I want to feel it with my sword. How that newcomer has gotten stronger. If you accept the condition, I’ll let you pass the next exam at my discretion. Even if it’s the first exam, there are stages.”

To pass the exam stably, there was no reason to accept.

Because I could just stably defeat Jeong Muk, who was the biggest threat right now, and then break through the next stage as well.

However, since I had been to the underground library, I also wanted to test it once.

My swordsmanship realm.

“I accept. But if I think I’m going to lose, I’ll use them. It’s an additional rule, so I hope you don’t decide whether I pass or fail the original exam based on that. It’s my ability, after all.”

Of course, I didn’t let my guard down and laid the groundwork.

“Alright.”

Jeong Muk also drew his sword with an answer. It was a new Martial Arts Sword provided by the academy.

‘This is perfect. Because there’s something I want to test.’

I held out the Demon-Slaying Sword. With that, the blade was dyed with a purple powerful qi.

“That’s…?!”

I rushed at the surprised Jeong Muk in an instant and thrust a sword strike.

Kaaaaang!

With a high-pitched sword cry, Jeong Muk was pushed back. His expression turned pale.

“Zixia Divine Art?”

‘This really stands out.’

It was the correct answer.

As I unfolded the sword art based on the Zixia Divine Art, Jeong Muk was pushed back in an instant.

Although Jeong Muk’s martial art, the Veda-Demon-Subduing-Sword, was a strong martial art, it was no match for the Zixia Divine Art.

He began to be pushed back.

Kaang!

Finally, Jeong Muk’s sword flew to the side, and a purple trajectory stopped in front of his neck.

“I won.”

“I lost.”

Although both were at the beginning of the super-peak level, my side, which had learned a superior art, was stronger.

Moreover, thanks to having just reached the proficient level from the battle just now, the last sword strike was much smoother and cleaner.

“Originally, you have to get the Martial Arts Sword after taking an additional exam… but since you’ve already been acknowledged, it doesn’t matter.”

Jeong Muk spun the hilt and held out the Martial Arts Sword to me.

Originally, you could only get the Martial Arts Sword after clashing with the instructor’s specialty or overcoming an exam where the student’s weaknesses were bound to be revealed.

I had passed the first exam smoothly.

“If you submit that to Chief Professor Gu Ja-beom, he will guide you to the second exam. It won’t be easy, but you should be able to pass. I wish you good luck.”

With a short word of blessing, Jeong Muk disappeared.

‘Now all that’s left is the second exam.’

When I went to Gu Ja-beom and held out the Martial Arts Sword, he said as if he had expected it.

“As expected, you came first.”

“What about the next exam?”

Then, Gu Ja-beom pointed to a carriage parked on one side.

“Get in. The next one is an external activity.”

At those words, there were a few exams I could expect.

‘This is going to be annoying. I hope it’s not the worst.’

Among them, there was also an exam that could be dangerous even for me if I was unlucky.

As I was waiting in the carriage as Gu Ja-beom had instructed, the door opened, and familiar faces appeared one by one.

“So the great hero was also here.”

“I’m probably the last one. They said only 6 people passed the first exam.”

It was Bong So and Go Su-bin. Judging by her testimony, it was clear that about four of the original top-tier, excluding me and Baek Hasin, had been selected.

‘As expected.’

The qualification for an advanced student was at least the peak level. Since there were few masters of that level among the intermediate students.

Soon, the carriage, carrying us, began to move.

“I don’t know where we’re going.”

“I know, right.”

While the two were exchanging questions and answers, I had already finished my prediction.

If they were moving 6 people in two carriages, there was only one possibility.

“The second exam is a team battle.”

“Pardon?”

“What?”

I explained slowly to the two who were asking back.

“Going outside means that something that can’t be replaced here, that is, the terrain or the opponent, will be reflected in the exam. Moreover, if they divided the number of people equally to make it easy to compare, it goes without saying.”

“So you’re saying we’re going to fight them?”

I shook my head at Bong So’s question.

“If they were just going to have a duel, they would have done it in the academy. It’s probably something else.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“The thing we’ve done the most. A request.”

After answering Go Su-bin, I began to form a basic formation for a team battle.

Although there weren’t many sword formations that could be done with three people, if I, a mage, was there, the range of application was different.

As I was discussing the strategy for a while, I raised my head at the ominous feeling I suddenly felt.

“What’s wrong…”

The moment Bong So was asking.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

The carriage exploded as it was.

“Enemies!”

When I jumped out of the half-destroyed carriage, what I saw were bandits surrounding the mountain path.

‘Has the exam already started?’

I flew a thunderbolt at the charging enemies and electrocuted them all at once.

“What?!”

The surprised opponent. I immediately broke through the center of the group and knocked them all out with a thunderbolt.

“M-monster!”

“He’s just one person. Get him!”

Perhaps because I had controlled the power to reduce mana consumption, the enemies chose to counterattack rather than flee.

“Kill him!!”

“Waaaaaah!!”

The guys who started to charge from all directions.

“If you do that, it’s easier for me.”

The rings of the 5th circle rotated, and dozens of flame bullets floated in the air.

“Uh… uh?!”

The bandits who were finally flustered.

“I’ve heard of it! That flame! It’s the Great Mage!!”

“Run away!”

Although they tried to flee belatedly, it was too late. The enemies were swept away by the pouring flame bullets.

“Keo-heok!”

With the last falling bandit leader, the situation was concluded.

“Do we even need to be here?”

Bong So, who saw me piling up the fallen guys in one place with psychokinesis, asked in admiration.

“I can’t do this every time.”

“Hmm?”

The bandit leader was at the proficient peak level. It couldn’t be that they had called us to defeat an enemy of just this level.

“So what’s the real content of the exam? Instructor Jeong Muk.”

I asked the coachman, who was holding the reins with a hat pulled down on the half-destroyed carriage.

“From here on, it’s their territory.”

“Their territory?”

“The remnants of the Heretic Alliance.”

In the tense situation, the content of the mission flowed from Jeong Muk’s mouth.

“From now on, you will go and deal with the remnants of the Heretic Alliance hidden somewhere on the island of Danjang Lake.”

“What about the location of the island?”

“That’s a problem you have to find from now on. The only help I can give you is to take you to Danjang Lake and then tell you the content of the exam.”

‘I’ve been given a troublesome exam.’

To think that just three people had to simultaneously track and annihilate an enemy who had gone into hiding.

“For reference, the other team also has the same mission. Whoever reaches first and achieves more results will determine who passes.”

In the end, it was a competition between the teams.

‘Since there are two super-peak level and four peak-level, if there are no executive-level on the enemy side, the force is not insufficient. The problem is to arrive before Baek Hasin’s team and suppress them.’

“Then these guys are just a hindrance.”

I looked at the bandit leader, who had regained consciousness and was trembling.

“Do you know anything about the forces hiding in Danjang Lake?”

“That’s…!”

At the reaction as if he couldn’t speak, I cut off the head of a bandit who had dried fingers hanging from his waist like an ornament and said.

“If you’re useful, I can let you off with just destroying your dantian. If you don’t like that, I’ll cut off your limbs and throw you to the beasts as food.”

When I floated several headless corpses in front of the guy’s nose with psychokinesis and made their jaws clatter like in a horror movie, the opponent was terrified and prostrated himself.

“I-I’ll talk!! Please, just spare my life!!”

The rest of the bandits were said to be dealt with when Jeong Muk returned, so after destroying all their dantians, I put them to sleep with pressure point strikes.

While going to Danjang Lake, I asked the bandit leader.

“Who are the forces that have taken over Danjang Lake now?”

“W-we don’t know either. We’re a subordinate organization that couldn’t even participate in the war. But it was clear that they were high-ranking people among the Heretic Alliance! There were also many masters.”

“To what extent?”

“The executive I met was sent by the leader of the organization, but he was stronger than me. I was suppressed in one move after meeting him. The two subordinates he brought with him also seemed to be at the peak level like me.”

To be able to suppress a proficient peak level in one move, he was at least at the pinnacle level or higher. If an executive was at that level, there was a high probability that the leader was a much stronger guy.

“It might be a very dangerous exam.”

There was no such mission in the original story. It must have been a variable that came out because of me.

With this, safety could not be guaranteed.

I raised a question to Jeong Muk.

“I don’t think this is something that can be solved at the intermediate student level. What are you going to do?”

“A mission doesn’t pick its situation. If you want to give up, do so.”

He was relentless even at a time like this.

Wondering if I could draw him in, I asked further.

“But if we go to the island, how will you check the performance of each team?”

“That can be judged later through testimony and the dispatch of an investigation team. Are you giving up?”

‘Even if he says that, he wouldn’t send students in without a plan. He must have something to rely on.’

“Why would I give up? Just guide us to Danjang Lake. Coachman.”

“…How arrogant.”

The place we arrived at after running on the mountain path was Danjang Lake.

“It’s huge.”

Several islands were spread out beyond the giant lake, which was larger than a decent city.

“Do you really not know where they are? Any other information?”

“Th-that’s all I know! Please, have mercy…!”

“Alright, I’ll spare you. ‘I’ will, that is.”

“Aaaaargh!”

After destroying the bandit leader’s dantian on the spot and leaving him to Jeong Muk, we examined the lakeside.

“This is big trouble. How do you plan to find them in this wide area?”

It was a scale that would take several days just for a simple search. But I had no intention of wasting that much time.

“It’s not difficult. Both of you, hold my hands.”

“Huh?!”

“Huh?”

I held Bong So and Go Su-bin in each hand and instantly floated into the sky with psychokinesis.

Searching from a high place was the best way.

“Although it may seem hidden from the ground, you can’t hide completely from the sky.”

Unless there was a separate underground facility.

And so, after flying for a while, islands began to be seen one by one in the distance.

According to the bandit leader’s testimony, the enemy’s scale was at least 50 people or more.

‘Then there should be smoke from cooking, or residential huts, or at least a docked or hidden boat on the ground.’

If that many people were gathered on one island, it was impossible not to leave a trace.

Among them, I found an island where buildings where many people could reside were hidden.

A terrain with a height difference that made it easy to hide from the outside, yet convenient for surveillance.

Above all, several ships were hidden behind the hill of the slope leading to the lake.

‘Found it.’

This was definitely it. I lowered my altitude and gave them instructions.

“We’re going in. You two go first and chase the enemy’s leadership. I’ll launch a surprise attack and blow up the ships and the base.”

“What?”

After throwing the flustered Bong So and Go Su-bin into the enemy camp, I soon floated in the air and formed dozens of flame bullets.

‘The content of the mission is annihilation. No need to hold back.’

“Th-that’s!”

“Enemies!!”

The enemies who had finally discovered this side burst out in astonishment from below.

I aimed the Daoist Scholar’s Fan at them, who had become as small as a pinky nail.

“Since it’s an island, there’s nothing to hold back. They can’t even run away.”

Simultaneously, dozens of flame bullets bombarded the ground.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

The flame that soared, blowing up the enemy’s residential area entirely, announced the start of the full-scale cleanup operation.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep