Bang!
Cain shifted his upper body, dodging a pistol bullet at such a close range. He dashed, entering his opponent's range.
"Fast!"
The female cadet holding the pistol froze, her eyes widening as she showed a hint of blush on her cheek while watching Cain at close distance.
'Thirteen.'
Yet the boy's word was cold, laced with a sharp blade that severed the girl's left side, throwing her sideways.
Light began to consume the girl's body, which disappeared and returned to the arena, leaving Cain, who was still lowering his center of gravity.
The boy let out a short sigh while sheathing his katana. He stood up, shifting his gaze to the surrounding area.
'Did I enter too deep?'
He whispered, then lifted his feet to explore the dim forest. The only light came from the sunlight cascading down between the gaps in the thick canopy above.
Some time had passed since he was cornered and lost his pistol when he met that sniper. His right hand clenched tightly as he still remembered the horror that gnawed at his skin and spread to his chest.
Since then, Cain has continuously relied on his katana for fighting. Therefore, he had to act more cautiously because he had no option for long-range combat.
Cain stopped his steps. He raised his hand to his forehead and glanced at the gap in the leaves to see the position of the sun, which was almost hanging right above him.
"I wonder how many of us there are now?"
Although it was just a hypothesis, hours must have passed since the test began. The percentage of encounters with other cadets had also decreased. It may be time for the boy to move out of the shadows and go to an open area.
Cain shifted his gaze to the right. His black eyes narrowed to recall the route he took earlier. His left hand gripped the katana on his left waist. He nodded.
"Let's go."
As if to push himself, Cain moved and followed the path he had taken. A few minutes later, he met again with his damaged equipment.
He continued, then arrived at a spacious area with tall trees that were properly illuminated by the sun. A breeze caressed his skin, bringing the rustling sound of colliding leaves and the smell of soil that gently entered his nose.
The boy took a deep breath as if to enjoy the silence that enveloped the surrounding area.
His steps halted when his sixth sense gave a tingling signal, crawling around his neck before going down to his spine.
From the right side, a large shadow lunged at him. Both hands gripped silver daggers that shimmered like the fangs of a wild beast.
Cain immediately jumped forward and rolled on the ground before using the momentum to shift his body and grip the katana hilt.
"Who?"
The question immediately came out of his mouth. In front of Cain was a male cadet with a body taller than his. His short blue hair showed his gallant, handsome face.
His blue eyes narrowed, glaring at Cain while expertly spinning the dagger in both hands.
"Yo Cain. I'm not surprised to see you still standing in this late game."
Seeing his opponent made no further move. Cain stood straight, his left thumb ready to push the katana from its scabbard.
His breath was steady as Cain swept his gaze through the opponent's figure. He opened his mouth.
"Sorry, but I have a slight trouble remembering the name of someone who rarely communicates with me."
"How cold, even though we often exchange greetings when we meet."
"Greetings and communication are two different things."
"Ahaha, I guess you have a point."
The atmosphere in the area thickened, accompanied by Cain's opponent gripping the dagger in both hands as he prepared his stance.
"Nice to meet you, Cain. My name is Peter."
"Nice to meet you, too!?"
But before he could finish answering, Cain's expression tensed as he saw Peter shoot forward.
He sidestepped to the side, then flicked his thumb at the katana's guard and drew it in one smooth motion.
Peter jumped, his body spinning in the air and landing on one of the tree branches. Despite his bulky body, the boy has nimble flexibility like a cat.
"Your swordsmanship is quite good. I can feel the honed sharpness from that slash."
"Well, thank you for the compliment."
The blue-haired boy grinned. He leaned his body forward, and when he dropped, his body instantly disappeared and appeared in front of Cain, carrying a pair of knives ready to slit his neck.
Cain bent his knees, dodging the attack with a close margin. He didn't want to lose and swung his katana from the side, but he stopped when he saw Peter's shoe approaching his face.
Quickly, he crossed his arms and felt a strong jolt that pushed his body several meters backward.
On the other hand, Peter somersaulted in the air and landed upright while opening both his hands wide like an opera actor as if enjoying every second they have.
"As expected from the renowned cadet."
Cain lowered his trembling hands. He sighed and gripped the katana hilt with two hands.
'He is no ordinary cadet.'
Seeing the behavior of the opponent in front of him brought speculation to Cain's mind that Peter was a boy with a silver spoon while trying to lie low in this place.
Peter's fighting style was not something that could be acquired in a month of training. Agile movements, sensitivity to the surroundings, and a technique that was not bound by the rigid rules of traditional weapon users.
Peter did all that as if he were breathing. He must have been trained by someone long before entering military training.
However, a question arose in Cain's head. Why did Peter keep hiding his ability?
Cain took a slow breath, shifting his feet to be aligned and setting his middle-stance to fight his opponent.
'No matter who it is. I will win and increase my integrity point.'
Peter, who saw the embers ignited in Cain's eyes. His expression dimmed, and he loosened the tension in his body, trying not to put pressure on his body and mind.
"Here I go."
"Come."
Cain's voice was flat, mirroring the calm surface of the pond, and yet deadly if one was drowned to its bottom.
Peter disappeared and appeared from the side. Cain used his footwork to escape his opponent's grasp.
Every weapon was blessed with a range to maximize its usefulness. Cain, the katana user, has a short to near-medium range, so he had to get out of the dagger's range, which demands combat from a very close distance.
Not stopping there, Peter continued his relentless attack. But Cain seamlessly dodged and deflected his opponent's attack, maximizing his footwork.
The images in his head replicate a black-haired boy facing an opponent in front of thousands of people. Cain was practicing katana under the tutelage of Instructor Kenji. Two images began to merge.
That amalgamation brought a drastic change to him, coupled with Cain's parameter status getting an update, everything overlapped and broke down the wall that hindered his growth.
A panel appeared with an announcement.
[Integrity Sync Complete.]
[Integrity 100% Reached]
> Level Up → 8.0
> Parameters boosted → All stats +1
> Bonus Point 5!
[Basic Kenjutsu data proficiency up!]
[Aspire > Beginner]
However, the notification faded as Cain fell into an abyss of focus.
Peter's movements, which looked sharp and fast, felt slow. Cain could see small details of his muscle movement, his dagger trajectory, and the force behind it.
Cain saw Peter trying to stab with the dagger in his right hand and trying to divert his vision toward the dagger in his left hand.
Instead of avoiding, he stepped forward and deflected the enemy's dagger, creating sparks that scattered in their class. Then, in one fluid motion, Cain's body spun, and he used that momentum to turn away while swinging his katana, which cut his opponent's neck.
The incident was happening too fast, and Peter, who was thrown to the side, heard the sound of shattering glass echoing in his ears before light swallowed his consciousness, smiling.
"Heh, so I lost."
His body disappeared, leaving Cain, who was still gripping his katana tightly. The boy let out a long sigh and loosened the tension in his grip.
"Fourteen."
Cain placed the back of his katana to the mouth of the scabbard and slowly pulled it before sheathing it.
He shifted his gaze to the flat terrain. His heart pounded so hard as if whispering something, telling him to leave the forest.
Walking tens of meters from the mouth of the forest, a cold wind blew strongly, carrying dust particles that made him squint.
The moment it subsided, Cain's steps halted when he witnessed a blonde-haired boy sitting with his back against a large boulder.
The boy who noticed his appearance stood up, flashing his white teeth.
"Cain, I've been waiting for you."
"Abel."
Cain parted his lips. His left hand immediately gripped the katana on his waist.