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Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

Theo encountered several invisible blades as he sprinted up the slope.

Not only were arrows raining down from the sky, but daggers aimed at his blind spots also came rushing in.

All of it was the result of Kyle’s overwhelming aura.

It wasn’t just about overcoming the aura; he had to break through the threats as well.

‘This is insane difficulty…!’

Ratatatatang!

Theo infused his Drake’s Blade with magic power and swung it forcefully.

As the invisible blades caught in the wild trajectory were all deflected,

Crack!

Theo finally arrived at his destination, the front of the mountain lodge.

Covered in dust, he looked nothing short of a beggar.

But his eyes were flickering brilliantly, as if they were infused with lightning energy.

‘Father…!’

Suppressing all the questions he wanted to throw at Kyle, Theo slowly advanced.

Coo—

At that moment, a black lark sitting on the lodge’s roof noticed Theo and chirped lightly.

Squeeeak—

At the same time, the tightly shut door of the lodge swung wide open.

As if inviting him in.

Gulp—

Swallowing dryly, Theo slowly stepped inside the lodge.

Thud!

As soon as he did, the front door slammed shut behind him.

Whoosh—

The previously dark surroundings suddenly lit up brightly.

In that instant, Theo unconsciously drew in a sharp breath.

The lodge was filled with countless swords embedded in the floor.

Each one had a different shape and use, but every single one of them was a masterpiece.

However, there was one common characteristic among them.

Every single one of them was broken somewhere.

And they all seemed to be wailing.

As if they were vomiting out their grudges.

Wooooong—

Wuuuuuung!

“Do you know what all this is?”

Kyle was walking through the graveyard of swords.

With his hands behind his back.

“These are the swords of the swordsmen you personally broke, Lord.”

Kyle had one particular hobby.

He collected the swords of those he defeated and displayed them like trophies.

As a result, the lodge was known by another name among the people of Winterer.

The 0126Sword Graveyard.

A graveyard for swords that had been broken in half.

“That’s right. The foes I’ve defeated to reach this position, the masters who once threatened this seat, and the challengers who sought to take this place… The position of the head of Ragnar is this lonely. It’s a place where you are constantly threatened and challenged… a position where you must never, for even a moment, let your guard down.”

Kyle turned to look at Theo.

A faint smile appeared on Kyle’s lips.

“I’ve heard you’re aiming for this position as well. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

In an instant, the smile vanished from Kyle’s face.

His eyes locked onto Theo’s, resembling the eyes of a dragon before its prey.

“Don’t answer thoughtlessly. After seeing the resentment these swords hold, can you still say the same?”

Theo scanned the graveyard of swords once more.

Because of the Hatchling Synchronization, the grudge that these swords carried was even more vividly clear to him.

– Kill… I’ll kill you…

– Kyle! Kyyyyle!

– You, who put me in this state…

– One day, I’ll take that position. One day… someday…

The malice and resentment pricked at his skin like needles.

If he stayed in this place too long, he felt he might suffocate.

In some ways, it was more threatening than Kyle’s aura.

If he wanted to become the head of the family, he’d have to face this kind of evil energy constantly.

And he’d have to carry this karma on his back as well.

But…

“Even so, my resolve doesn’t change.”

So what if it was difficult?

“Therefore.”

Theo’s determination wasn’t something that had been formed overnight.

“Please give me a chance.”

As Theo took a step forward and said this, a smile once again appeared on Kyle’s stiff face.

“Very well. If this is my son’s dream, then it’s only right for me as his father to grant it.”

Kyle unfolded his arms and extended his hand forward.

At that moment, one of the swords embedded in the floor clattered and shot up, landing firmly in his grasp.

Thunk!

“From now on, I will treat you not as my son but as a challenger.”

Rooooar—

Once again, the Dragon Fear intensified.

It felt as though a massive dragon had opened its eyes behind Kyle.

Gulp.

Theo swallowed hard and assumed his stance.

He knew instinctively.

The sword duel that was about to begin would be far more intense than any single sword strike Kyle had shown before.

Since he was being treated as a true challenger, this fight would be unlike what other candidates had faced.

There was a real chance he could die.

With that thought, Theo’s tension rose.

“Let’s see how well her teachings served you.”

Her?

Who could he be referring to?

Could it be… Lodbrok?

‘Has he figured out that I visited her nest? But how…?’

Crash—

But Theo didn’t have time to ask any questions.

The broken sword in Kyle’s grasp trembled violently as an overwhelming amount of magic power gathered within it.

It was a light sword of such immense intensity that Theo couldn’t even begin to comprehend it.

Kyle’s magic power infused it.

A single strike flashed.

A beam of light descended towards Theo’s head.

“If you truly wish to seize this position, you must prove to me that you can fully utilize everything you possess.”

Though the words still felt like cryptic riddles, Theo had no time to respond.

It was a calamity.

Like a typhoon or a tidal wave— a natural disaster, something no mere human could hope to defy— and it was coming for his life.

Seriously!

– At this rate, I’m really in danger.

With that sense of urgency, Theo pushed his Dragon’s Heart, his dantian, and his magical resonance to their maximum limits, raising his Drake’s Blade to intercept the blow.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—!

His heart pounded wildly as electric energy surged explosively around him.

Crackle!

At that moment.

Theo recalled the impressions he’d caught from the high masters he had observed.

The Hatchling Synchronization activated like mad.

His brain began to heat up.

He remembered.

The soft petals of the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace.

He brought to mind.

The sharp strike of Julius.

He retraced.

The relentless sword force of the Judgment Knight.

A thunderous dragon coiled around Theo, its massive claws tearing fiercely through the air.

Graaawww!

It sounded as though the dragon’s roar was aimed at the heavens.

But,

Slaaaash!

Kyle’s light beam mercilessly severed the dragon’s claws and head, and it came crashing down upon Theo.

Then… it cleaved through both Theo and his Drake’s Blade.

Squeak—

A very brief slicing sound.

Silence descended in an instant.

As darkness enveloped his vision, all of his senses vanished at once.

‘Did… I die?’

That was Theo’s first thought.

It was the same as when he had faced death before.

When he had been struck by that eyeless arrow and died, darkness had come.

He had wandered aimlessly in an unknown space, only to be sucked into somewhere, and that’s when the regression had occurred.

But regression had always been a miracle created by that mysterious first artifact.

He couldn’t hope for that again.

So this time, he must really be dead.

.

.

.

After a moment of stillness,

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

Theo grit his teeth, though they weren’t really there.

‘Don’t mess with me. After all I’ve been through to get here…!’

Hadn’t he sworn this wouldn’t happen?

This life, he would never bow.

So.

He wouldn’t bow this time, either.

Theo brought his left hand to his waist.

There was no physical sword, but he believed there was.

Right there, the Moon-White Sword was waiting.

Wooong, wooooong!

* * *

Kyle stared at Theo with an indifferent expression.

It was hard to believe those eyes were that of a father looking at his son.

Theo stood there blankly, holding Drake’s Blade.

Like a stone statue frozen in place.

His eyes had lost all focus.

A lost soul.

That’s what Kyle usually called someone in that state.

In truth, Kyle hadn’t cut Theo’s body.

He had severed the soul within.

With his Heart Sword, Kyle had sliced through Theo’s mind.

The Heart Sword was a technique only those who had glimpsed the realm of gods could wield. Without the mental fortitude of a Nine-Dragon level master, it was nearly impossible to withstand.

Even so, Kyle hoped Theo would overcome it.

Only then would he be worthy of the single strike Kyle had bestowed, of the teachings from her, and of the various fortunes he had gained.

More importantly, if Theo wanted to defeat countless competitors and seize true power, he would need to overcome challenges like this.

The true heirs he would face would be far more formidable.

Flap!

However, the black lark perched on Kyle’s shoulder seemed to think differently.

“…Seems it can’t be helped. I suppose this is as far as the boy goes,” Kyle murmured, his voice betraying a hint of disappointment as he turned away.

Grooooar!

Suddenly, a fierce surge of energy pulsed, and Theo’s eyes regained their electric glow.

A faint smile formed on Kyle’s lips as he turned back.

A beast-like roar echoed violently.

Theo stood there, surrounded by swirling smoke, his right hand gripping Drake’s Blade and his left holding the Moon-White Sword.

Woooooong! Wooooooong!

Both swords cried out, as if they refused to lose.

“Hah… Hah…! Don’t you think I’ve shown enough to prove my worth?”

Though Theo was breathing heavily, his gaze never wavered from Kyle.

Those eyes, filled with a determination to never yield—

Kyle liked that.

“Good. You pass.”

The smile on his lips deepened.

* * *

‘…What exactly was Father trying to confirm in me?’

Theo left the lodge, lost in deep thought.

He wanted to ask his father so many things—what he knew, why he went so far as to use the Heart Sword.

But—

– Next.

Kyle simply called for the next person without giving any notable response.

It was as if he was saying, “You don’t yet deserve to ask that kind of question.”

In the end, Theo was kicked out of the lodge, burdened with nothing but questions.

Still,

‘I’ve been acknowledged by my father.’

The fact that Kyle didn’t say anything further—

It was practically a sign of agreement, implying he wouldn’t place any restrictions on Theo now that he was seriously entering the competition for the seat of power.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Quest #17 after gaining the acknowledgment of the Dragonslayer.]

[Evaluation: A+]

[You have earned 1 coin as a reward.]

[As a bonus reward for your high evaluation, your control over your owned items has been strengthened.]

[From now on, you will be immune to mental attacks of A-rank or lower.]

Wooong!

Wooooong—

As both Drake’s Blade and the Moon-White Sword resonated deeply, their cries growing louder after overcoming Kyle’s Heart Sword and strengthening their bond with Theo, the smile on Theo’s lips deepened even further.

With this, all the Blossoming Ceremonies had come to an end.

Now,

It was time to dive fully into the competition for the seat of power.

* * *

That evening.

With the completion of the third and final Blossoming Ceremony, the final results were announced.

Overall First Place: Theo Ragnar

– First Trial: First Place, Second Trial: First Place, Third Trial: First Place

– Report from the Judge: The candidate displayed exceptional scores across all areas, including skill, talent, capability, and determination. The new record set during the Second Trial will be remembered throughout Ragnar’s thousand-year history…

A newly emerging heir had appeared.

The beginning of a storm.