Examination
On winter break, we made our way to the Warp Gate Terminal that day.
Yeon Ha-neul, the majority of our friends, and I were heading home.
The rest had come to see us off.
‘Except for the kids staying in Academy City, we won’t be seeing each other for a while.’
Having grown attached to my friends, I felt somewhat disappointed inside.
They probably felt the same.
But it was fine.
We could keep up with each other through group chats, SNS, phone calls, and the like.
Unlike last summer break, we had also planned to take a trip together midway through.
That is….
“Then everyone, have a good break, and let’s meet in the Empire soon. I’ll look up plenty of great places!”
To the Grace Empire.
It had started not long ago, when we were chatting about our winter break plans.
That was when Lisa suggested a trip to the Empire.
Since none of us had ever visited the Empire before, we had no reason to refuse.
We accepted readily.
‘Well, I already knew about it… because it followed the game’s progression.’
Still, that didn’t mean I wasn’t excited.
I, too, was greatly looking forward to the day we would tour the Empire.
Meanwhile, Lisa, who would be guiding the trip, seemed as excited as we were.
Perhaps even more so.
Otherwise, there was no way she’d already be walking with such energy in her shoulders.
Her voice and gait were spirited, too.
“Yeah, safe travels.”
The Warp Gate Terminal lounge.
When departure time came, I waved to her as she left.
After that, other friends got up one by one to use the activated Warp Gate.
Eventually, it was Yeon Ha-neul, the triplets, and my turn.
“We’re off. See you in the Empire.”
“Yeah, take care until then!”
Gang Han-byeol and Bak Sa-gun had come to see us off.
Sin Seo-ra was there, too.
‘It’s nice having a Maestro I’m close with nearby. From now on, I can leave the kids’ and my armament crafting and repairs to Seo-ra. They say Han-byeol is in charge of her left arm’s Machine Arts, too.’
According to the game’s original progression, Sin Seo-ra was supposed to exit the stage after appearing in the Vajra Realm.
But I, recognizing her abilities, had persuaded her along with Gang Han-byeol to remain in Academy City.
—Your skills are too good to waste. Why not settle down and work in Academy City while you’re at it? This place is perfect for honing your skills and building a reputation. You also said earlier that you liked living here.
—Mm… I don’t hate the idea, but it’s so sudden….
—I agree with Gyeon-u! You must have some ambition to make a name for yourself in the world, too! I think now is the time. Come out into the world properly and show off your skills! Huh? Get your own workshop!
—My own workshop… that does sound appealing. I’ve wanted to have a workshop bearing my own name, but… hmm….
—And it’s a hassle coming to Academy City every time to check up on my Machine Arts. Right?
—…You’re not wrong.
Back then, Gang Han-byeol had tried to win Sin Seo-ra over with such passion….
Just thinking back on it made me smile.
Anyway, thanks to his efforts, she had decided to open a workshop in Academy City.
‘So they’re looking for a workshop location together over break. Must be nice for Han-byeol.’
I could only offer my condolences to Bak Sa-gun, who had decided to stay in Academy City to spend the break with Gang Han-byeol.
‘Make sure you take care of Sa-gun too, Han-byeol, and not just play around with Seo-ra.’
You shouldn’t fall for someone so hard that you neglect your friends.
You have to maintain balance in daily life.
Like Yeon Ha-neul and me.
‘Take after us. Got it?’
I’d have to give Han-byeol plenty of advice during winter break.
Meanwhile, I looked at Cha Eun-sol.
She, too, had come to see us off, and was exchanging greetings with Yeon Ha-neul.
Soon, our eyes met.
“Why are you looking? Yum….”
“Don’t just laze around during break. Don’t forget you need to train hard.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for now.”
Cha Eun-sol, who had been expelled from the Circulation Chariot, had decided to spend her break in Academy City.
I had repeatedly warned her not to be too lazy.
She brushed it off nonchalantly, though.
“Contact me if anything happens.”
“Yeah, I’ll call when I run out of pocket money.”
“…Eat in moderation, you elephant.”
“Yeah, I’m an elephant. Yum yum.”
There was no formidable foe quite like Cha Eun-sol.
I sighed and lightly smacked her on the head.
She yelped, “Ow,” but just kept eating.
Ugh, I lost.
I resigned myself.
I should change the subject.
“Have a good winter break.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Before long, Yeon Ha-neul, the triplets, and I passed through the Warp Gate.
* * *
Some time ago, my grandfather had made a proposal.
To raise the completion level of Lion Divinity and conduct a special technique examination next time.
It wasn’t a bad idea for me.
I would be able to leave my name in the clan’s history and pass down my swordsmanship to future generations through the family’s library.
‘Provided that I pass the examination first, though.’
I wasn’t greedy for fame, but that didn’t mean I had none at all.
I had at least a little desire to make a name for myself and leave something behind.
So, since I would be honing my swordsmanship anyway, I had prepared with the special technique examination in mind as well.
And so.
“This place should be fine for demonstrating your swordsmanship. You’ve entered a gate before, so the environment shouldn’t be unfamiliar.”
A few days after returning home and enjoying the break.
On this day, I visited the main house to undergo the Divine Sword Do Family’s evaluation.
I was to take the special technique examination before my grandfather, family, Do Si-eun, and the clan members.
‘Quite a crowd.’
Yellow Gate, Scrap Iron Coast I.
Standing at the border between the sea and the white sand, I looked back at the people and clicked my tongue inwardly.
Even distant relatives who hardly ever visited the main house had come; it seemed this had drawn considerable interest.
‘Well, it’s understandable. In the clan’s history, you could count on one hand those who created a unique technique at my age, and moreover, only the second Patriarch had passed the special technique examination.’
People’s gazes were fixed on me.
I could tell even without being conscious of it.
Even so, I decided to tune them out and focus on the examination.
“Whenever you’re ready, begin at your leisure.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
I felt for the Azure Sword to confirm its presence.
Then I stepped onto the water’s surface.
I walked across the rippling sea, advancing beneath the blue sky.
Flap, flap!
Gate Eyes flew around, filming me.
They were providing footage to the people watching from the white sand.
‘I want to show Haneul, too. Maybe I should ask for the recorded footage later.’
I miss Yeon Ha-neul.
Standing beneath the sky, I miss her even more.
‘…At this rate, there won’t be a day I don’t miss her until I die. And that’s true in real life, too.’
My tension naturally eased.
But I couldn’t let it go completely.
I recalled the thought that had abruptly surfaced.
Composing myself and finding calm, I took in the horizon.
I gripped the Azure Sword.
Just then, monsters were appearing from beyond the horizon.
While recognizing them, I calmly manifested the mana within my body.
I unleashed the Wall Thunder imbued in the Azure Sword.
Crackle!
It was a swordsmanship now ingrained in my body.
It was burdensome, but not difficult.
Toward the approaching monsters, I swung my sword down with ease.
Lion Divinity
* * *
Do Gyeon-u, the Rabbit of the Divine Sword Do Family, who couldn’t even hunt a single rabbit.
The clan members had found him unpleasant, possessing a frail temperament despite his talent.
He who had feared swinging a sword was unfit to be called a child of the lion.
But as if his mindset had changed, starting five years ago….
“To think that kid who used to get beaten up all the time created his own swordsmanship. You never know what life brings.”
“There is reward in watching him grow.”
“Why did a kid like that walk on eggshells when he was young…? It’s fascinating.”
“But he showed promise even as a child. Didn’t he master the basics quickly? He wasn’t called a prodigy for nothing.”
“Indeed, he mastered the Wall Thunder at the youngest age on record… surpassing even the record of the second Patriarch, who was called a genius in the clan’s history.”
“Exactly. He simply bloomed late as a lion.”
…The evaluation had reversed.
The people of the Divine Sword Do Family no longer looked down on Do Gyeon-u.
The collateral lines, somewhat removed from the patriarch succession, especially held him in high regard.
To that extent, there was no longer any room for disagreement about his skill.
He was practically the clan’s pride.
And such a he….
“I wonder what he’ll show us this time.”
“I heard the Patriarch burst into laughter when he first saw it. To think a swordsmanship could be so great….”
“It must have been worth recognizing as a unique technique on the spot, bypassing procedure with the Patriarch’s authority.”
Having created an original swordsmanship, he was undertaking the special technique examination.
Anyone with ties to the clan couldn’t help but be curious.
That was why they had made time to visit the main house.
“….”
Except for those who could see over great distances.
Most of the people gathered on the white sand watched the screen projected by the Gate Eyes.
On the screen stood Do Gyeon-u, standing upon the water’s surface.
“He’s starting.”
Someone spoke.
At the same time, the screen changed.
Swoosh.
Ripples seemed to spread from Do Gyeon-u, who gripped the Azure Sword—
Crackle!
—from whom Wall Thunder was discharged.
Thick and thin blue currents each illuminated the surroundings brightly and surged toward the sky.
Immediately after.
Boom! Rumble!
“….”
In an instant, the sea churned.
The sea surface, which had been relatively calm moments ago, surged violently.
Soon, the people discovered particles of light fluttering on the screen.
“Wow, pretty… right, Mom? The lights are dancing around big brother….”
“They are….”
“….”
They were hydrogen particles, shining as they reflected the Wall Thunder.
Those who had heard the explanation beforehand soon grasped the identity of the light particles.
Even so, Do Yeeun and her mother Han Jiae, among others, let out pure exclamations of admiration.
‘They have no idea how terrifying that is…’
Meanwhile, Do Sang-jun, who had once witnessed the swordsmanship Do Gyeon-u was about to unfold, gave a bitter smile.
He decided to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to ruin Do Yeeun and Han Jiae’s appreciation.
It was then that the next change appeared on the screen.
Fwoosh!
The chaotically floating hydrogen particles drew circles under Do Gyeon-u’s control.
Multiple circles surrounded him, occasionally reflecting blue light.
And from him standing at the center, white light burst forth.
It was Repulsive Luminous, a third-circle light element magic possessing the power to repel targets.
Then.
Whir!
Crackle!
The circles emitting blue light rapidly spun in various directions.
At the same time, the Wall Thunder gained even more momentum and roared savagely.
“….”
The viewers felt something ominous from this point on.
They forgot to even breathe, unable to take their eyes off Do Gyeon-u, who completely dominated the Wall Thunder.
Right then.
Lion Divinity
Do Gyeon-u brought his sword down.
In that instant, the screen turned pure white.
The explosively bursting light filled the Gate Eyes’ field of view.
Boom-boom-boom!
“….”
Like this, nothing could be seen.
The people turned their heads toward the sea from which the explosion sounded.
And their eyes went wide.
Fwoosh! Kra-ra-rak!
Far out at sea.
A blue light accompanied by water columns shot into the sky like pillars.
Even looking up, the end was not visible.
“That kid, that kid… is insane….”
Han Jiae, taking in that spectacle, could only be lost in awe.
The sight was so surreal that proper words failed her.
“This… is swordsmanship…?”
“How in the world with a sword….”
“It seems to have transcended the realm of swordsmanship….”
“….”
The others were no different.
They just blinked blankly.
Time passed from then.
“The monsters… are they all dead?”
“They couldn’t have survived a direct hit from that explosion.”
“….”
The pillar of blue light subsided.
Only Do Gyeon-u stood there; the monsters no longer existed.
People clicked their tongues at the sight of him on the restored screen, seemingly untouched by the explosion’s aftermath.
They couldn’t deny it.
“He’s grown again since we last saw him….”
“Hah, really… He was the Rabbit? The coward who couldn’t catch a single rabbit? The more I think about it, the more unbelievable it is.”
“To think that rabbit grew like that… It brings a tear to my eye for no reason.”
“Rabbit, my foot. You could maybe call him a swift rabbit as fierce as a lion who handles Wall Thunder well. But how is that a rabbit? He’s a lion.”
At this moment.
A message visible only to him surfaced before Do Gyeon-u’s eyes.
[You have achieved a feat that leaves a deep impression on the people of the Divine Sword Do Family.]
[You have obtained the Epithet ‘Glory of the Divine Sword Do Family’.]
[Your existing Epithets ‘Rabbit’, ‘Boss Baby’, ‘Entrance Exam Runner-up’, ‘Blue Cub’, and others resonate.]
[Synthesizing the Epithet ‘Glory of the Divine Sword Do Family’ with the aforementioned Epithets.]
[…]
[You have obtained the Epithet ‘Thunder Rabbit (雷卯)’.]
[Thunder Rabbit]
◆ Epithet Origin
—The life journey taken by Do Gyeon-u of the Divine Sword Do Family.
—Praise sent by all the world, encompassing the frail past as a coward, the present forging brilliant glory, and the future growing as a hero.
◆ Effects
—Gains interest, respect, and awe from those who know the epithet.
—All physical abilities +3
—Evasion rate increases by 30%.
—Learning efficiency increases significantly.
—Increases the effects of skills bearing the name ‘Beast King’ by 20%.
—Decreases the mana consumption of skills bearing the name ‘Beast King’ by 20%.
—When fighting beings of high rank, the probability of becoming the primary target increases significantly.
—….
—Epithets with high similarity are all integrated into this epithet.
—Skill 「Thunder Rabbit’s Dignity」
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss