[Vol. 5] Chapter 148: Instant Defeat
Turning around, the figure of the gray-clad swordsman ca into view.
He looked sowhat disheveled.
His once neatly grood gray hair was now speckled with snow, and there was a scratch on his right hand, likely from awkwardly trying to stabilize himself with his hand while landing the flying wings.
Other than that, there was nothing more to note.
After all, as long as there was a thod to follow, this level of challenge was not difficult for a being above the legendary level. While the legendary tier does not surpass the limits of species, the level and physical qualities gained from training are not to be underestimated.
The only real challenge lay in whether Mr. Dead Soul could skillfully master the use of the ?artificial flying wings? within fifteen minutes. This was what Violet truly wanted to test.
It’s worth noting that it took Theresa a full hour just to barely learn the most basic application.
“M-Miss Dawn, I… I don’t think I’ve exceeded your ti limit, have I?”
The gray-clad swordsman folded his silver-white wings behind him, his teeth chattering as he spoke. The warm air he exhaled quickly turned into mist, freezing into tiny ice particles that fell, and his previously healthy complexion appeared sowhat pale, clearly indicating he had underestimated the frigid temperature at this seven-thousand-ter peak.
“Hmm, barely qualified.”
Reaching into the air, Miss White Fox casually tossed a thick coat to him, then glanced at the wings behind Mr. Dead Soul, which appeared to have frozen solid in the biting cold.
“What do you think of this thing?”
After expressing his thanks, the gray-clad swordsman had just unfastened so of the flying wings and put on the warm coat when he paused, realizing what Violet was referring to. He turned back to lightly touch the cold, hard tal wings on his back, and a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes.
“To be honest, it’s amazing. No, it should be called incredible. There are clearly no magical patterns or spell marks inscribed on it, yet it can take soone into the sky using only the power provided by the magic crystal. It can even perform many agile movents like a bird. This is beyond my previous understanding. Truly worthy of being sothing in Miss Violet’s possession…”
Miss White Fox nodded slightly, maintaining her composure, and continued, “I will pass on this appreciation to Violet. Now, what you need to do next is to keep learning and refine your skills in using these external wings. You must learn to maneuver and fight in the air while equipped with them. If the final result satisfies , you can keep the artificial flying wings as a reward.”
Having donned the coat, Mr. Dead Soul gradually adapted to the extre cold around him. He nodded but then looked sowhat puzzled. “Yes, with such a rare opportunity and experience, I am indeed honored. But at the peak of this ?Wall of Heaven?… where would I find an enemy to fight? Could it be that Miss Dawn intends to… personally…?”
“Kukuku~”
For so reason, a soft, slightly wicked chuckle escaped Miss White Fox beneath her mask, as if she found amusent in the situation. But before Mr. Dead Soul could discern it further, she reined in her laughter and resud her previous calm, lofty deanor.
“Ahem… you don’t need to worry about that. Since I brought you here, I’ve certainly made thorough preparations.”
“So, are you ready?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Then put on the flying wings, close your eyes for three seconds, and the assessnt will officially begin.”
Sensing sothing from Miss White Fox’s words, Mr. Dead Soul felt a mix of tension and anticipation as he swallowed hard. He quickly tightened and secured the tal wings that had beco loose when he put on the coat. After confirming everything was in order, he nodded seriously, closed his eyes, and began to count silently.
“Hoo~~ Hoo~~ Hoo~~~~”
At the mountain’s peak, the bone-chilling wind howled like a blade. Miss White Fox’s voice and presence seed to vanish into silence, abruptly disappearing from the gray-clad swordsman’s perception.
At the summit of the ?Wall of Heaven?, he was left all alone, accompanied only by the cold wind and falling snow. It felt as if even the coldness had beco light, leaving him in a state of clarity.
3…
2…
The three seconds seed to stretch out in expectation. Mr. Dead Soul didn’t know what kind of test he was about to be given, but there was no doubt that it would be extrely challenging.
1…
In the blink of an eye, those brief three seconds had passed.
Suddenly, the piercing cold rushed back in.
That was the silence known as ?Death?.
The sound of wind slicing through the air sent a chill down his spine!
“First Sword: Piercing Rainbow!!”
The instinct honed through years of battle propelled Mr. Dead Soul to draw his sword without hesitation. In the mont before he even opened his eyes, the sword was unsheathed, rising with sharp brilliance, slashing back at the incoming cold!
This strike, accompanied by the epiphany in the icy world, almost reached the pinnacle of his life to this point.
Even if he had to fight a transcendent-level person at this ti, the gray-clad swordsman felt confident enough to prove himself.
However…
“Clang!!!”
The sound that erupted was not the heavy clash of weapons.
Mr. Dead Soul felt as if his sword had struck an indestructible bell. The imnse force nearly shattered the skin of his hand holding the sword, causing blood to flow.
The sword, which had never left his side, was uncontrollably flung from his grip, reversing and embedding itself over ten ters behind him in the ground.
That heavy object, as thick as a door, then slamd down on the gray-clad swordsman without any flourish, bowling him over with a loud “bang!”
In an instant, he was sent flying off the peak platform, hurtling like a cannonball for over a hundred ters toward the mountain below!
“Guh…!”
As he plumted at high speed, the real sense of crisis from impending death made Mr. Dead Soul instinctively want to do sothing to counter the montum.
However, the excruciating pain from what felt like shattered bones, combined with the icy wind rushing into his mouth like a torrent, made even breathing a struggle. His mind was on the verge of shutting down from the sudden and overwhelming change.
This renowned legendary swordsman, an idol and strong figure in the eyes of countless people in the northern part of the kingdom, didn’t even manage to see what had defeated him just now.
Am I… going to die?
After all the effort to reach today, after finding the path and gaining the opportunity given by the strong, I couldn’t even pass the first test… how utterly humiliating.
Amidst the howling cold wind that rushed into his ears, he heard the girl’s voice echoing from nowhere.
It was still that calm and pleasant voice, as if she didn’t care about anything, completely indifferent.
Then, the swordsman felt sothing pulling him.
The downward montum abruptly halted, only to imdiately reverse and soar upward at an even faster pace, as if the previous scene were being played in reverse.
With a dizzying whirl, he found himself back above the platform at the peak of the mountain. Miss White Fox, holding the collar of his coat, casually dropped him onto the soft, pure white snow.
“Do you have any recovery potions? As an adventurer, you shouldn’t need my help for sothing this minor, right?”
“Huff!!! Cough cough cough…!”
Only at that mont did Mr. Dead Soul finally snap back to reality from the series of sudden changes, even the death-like visions flashing before his eyes. He coughed up the thick blood that had collected in his chest, struggling to sit up in the snow.
“I have… I have so! Just a cough cough… minor injury, thank you for your lifesaving grace, Miss Dawn…”
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