The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 292

197. Aedan Hamill’s Proof

쾅……!! 콰강……!! 쾅!! 쾅!! 쾅!!

“Hoo… Haa!!”

Loud noises echoed in the darkness. Explosions erupted at times, and the sound of sharp blades grinding against metal rang out.

“Doesn’t work.”

Aedan Hamill, after slamming into the door several times, tossed aside the shattered Wolf’s Fang and muttered.

“Well, I’m not a Master… There’s no way I could break down this door with brute force.”

He quickly accepted reality.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have gotten a decent sword from the Forest of the Lost.”

Aedan Hamill said, looking weary at the iron door that wouldn’t break no matter how hard he tried.

He had used up all but one of his usual daggers trying to break the door.

“Well, I did make it this far thanks to this, though….”

He said, tapping the chainmail armor wrapped around his body.

Sanmungap (Mountain Pattern Armor) [A type of high-quality armor].

The armor, made by weaving chains with sharp thorns pointing in three directions, was comparable to what high-ranking officials of the Eastern Kingdom above the 3rd tier would use.

“Reaching the 20th floor grants the qualification to become an instructor for the Shadow Squad trainees, and opening this door puts your name on the 3rd tier, allowing you to meet your master, or so they said.”

The Tower of Poison.

An iconic structure of the Eastern Kingdom that anyone affiliated with the Shadow Squad would have heard of at least once.

It was a simple but sure way to prove one’s strength.

‘Have I grown at all?’

Aedan smiled bitterly.

Even though he couldn’t break the door yet, the fact that he had reached the 20th floor was astonishing.

Miliana, Suan Hazar, Mikhail, Serica Loren….

And Karil McGovern.

His surroundings were full of monsters.

Ironically, being around such great individuals made it difficult for Aedan to feel his own growth.

However, he had become skilled enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Shadow Squad instructors, who were comparable to the Empire’s elite knights.

“Tch.”

But it still wasn’t enough.

Even though the Shadow Squad elders would consider his growth remarkable, the monsters beside him were still stronger than him.

“Even if I can’t count the eighty-nine flying needles [referring to a specific challenge or skill], I can’t be stopped here; I wouldn’t have the face to see my lord.”

This was Aedan’s second time in this tower.

Of course,

he never imagined he would be conquering this tower as a guest himself.

Trainees who have completed all the training courses in the Shadow Squad take a final test before carrying out orders.

That is, conquering up to the 10th floor of this tower.

Only those who reach the 10th floor are qualified and selected to carry out missions throughout the continent.

“The first time I came here, I was with Juke….”

Aedan muttered, feeling nostalgic.

Shadow Squad assassins must act according to the orders given, even if it means killing each other or becoming enemies.

But those days were in the past.

Although their harsh training was far from an ordinary life, they still had affection for their comrades back then.

‘We ended up parting ways, though….’

After vowing to follow Karil and parting ways in Tatur, he had never seen Juke Di Hold again.

Clap—!

“Now is not the time to be sentimental.”

Aedan lightly slapped his cheeks with both hands as if to wake himself up.

“Give up.”

It was then.

Aedan quickly aimed the dagger he was holding and took a stance when he heard another voice inside the tower, where he thought no one would be.

“……?!”

But only for a moment, he doubted his eyes at the familiar face.

“Juke?”

Aedan looked at her with a delighted expression.

“Haha, I don’t know if this is a dream or reality… I was just thinking about you.”

“I know. And I heard your silly mumbling too.”

“…….”

Aedan twitched his lips at her harsh words.

“You never were one for friendliness. What happened? Did you come back from the continent? The Empire must still be in turmoil.”

“That turmoil is because of what you guys did. Thanks to you, we’re having a hard time over here.”

Aedan shrugged.

“We just want different things.”

Crack… Crackle.

Juke’s face and body twisted grotesquely, and her small height, which had only reached Aedan’s waist until just now, instantly grew taller.

Body Transformation Art [A secret technique to enhance physical abilities].

Her specialty and a secret art of the Shadow Squad that dramatically increased all her stats, including martial arts, when she returned to her adult form.

“…….”

The cute little girl disappeared, and a slender, eight-headed beauty appeared before his eyes, but Aedan looked at her with a cold gaze rather than surprise.

“What are you doing?”

Instead of answering his question, Juke pulled out two daggers from her thigh.

“Want to fight?”

She still didn’t answer.

“Put down your swords. Or you’ll regret it.”

Clang—

It was then.

Juke shook the keys in front of him.

The three keys hanging on the ring made a sound as they collided with each other.

“I don’t need to explain what these are, do I?”

“…….”

“If you want to go up, kill me. That’s the final gate of the Tower of Poison. They said that the master will greet you when you open the door.”

“To think they would set you up as the gatekeeper of the 20th floor. The elders must have some nasty hobbies….”

Aedan muttered to himself with a low sigh.

Paat—!!

Juke Di Hold’s body moved.

No, it would be more accurate to say she disappeared as she dashed towards Aedan like a streak of darkness.

Only the flash of the blade, like lightning, shone in the darkness of the tower.

Pakakakang!!!

Sparks flew.

Crossing two daggers, Juke relentlessly poured her swords towards Aedan.

Kang!! Kaaang—!! Kakakaka!!

Juke’s swordsmanship, which surged without a moment’s respite, aimed for vital points, changing direction dozens of times from top to bottom, from bottom to diagonal, and even in mid-air.

“…….”

But surprisingly, Aedan was deflecting all the attacks that rushed at him from both directions with just one dagger.

Kaang!!

Aedan’s weighted strike.

Pinggeureureureu…….

Juke’s hand was pushed back by the impact, and one of the daggers fell and rolled on the floor.

Tak—

The spinning dagger stopped as it was stepped on by Aedan’s foot.

As Aedan picked up the sword, Juke frowned slightly and pulled out the dagger on her waist again.

From the moment their swords met, the two’s conversation disappeared.

Juke grabbed her sword and started running towards Aedan again.

Paang!! Paaaang!!!

This time, four swords began to clash as if dancing. But Aedan had blocked all her attacks with just one sword.

A colleague he didn’t want to fight.

Aedan thought while blocking Juke’s attacks.

‘Have I become soft?’

Could it be that he had changed while being with Karil?

He, a Shadow Squad assassin who had been trained to cut down targets without hesitation, was unable to draw his sword.

“…….”

Aedan didn’t miss the opportunity and used the handle of his dagger to strike Juke’s wrist from bottom to top.

“Keuk!!”

Grabbing Juke’s arm, which was staggering from the impact, he twisted it as it was, and with a crackling sound, her arm was bent.

Juke, struggling to break free from Aedan’s grip, twisted her body and drew a circle, slashing her dagger.

Pat……!

A sharp dagger slightly grazed the tip of Aedan’s nose, and a drop of blood fell.

Juke, who had moved away, bit the dagger she was holding in her mouth and grabbed her bent arm, pushing it in as if trying to reattach her dislocated shoulder.

“I should have broken it completely.”

“You too. You were a little shallow. I was aiming for your neck. Consider yourself lucky.”

After fixing her dislocated arm, Juke moved her arm back and forth and said to Aedan.

“Luck? It’s skill.”

Aedan replied with a sly smile to her.

“Are you going to continue?”

“Of course, I am.”

“I’m not.”

It was then.

Aedan said, shaking his head as if he was annoyed. Then Juke’s face crumpled.

“……You’re not? What?”

“Fighting with you.”

“Are you saying that the key I get from beating you is meaningless?”

Juke looked at Aedan with a puzzled expression.

“What nonsense are you talking about!!”

Kwaaang——!!!

Juke, who bounced up like a bullet, aimed for Aedan’s neck with the determination to kill him this time.

Kadeuk…… Kadeudeudeuk…….

But Aedan cleanly blocked Juke’s attack and punched her in the stomach.

“Cough!”

With a choking sound, Juke’s body bounced out and flew in a straight line.

The difference in skill was clear.

Aedan didn’t give her time to come to her senses.

Before she could get up, Aedan appeared behind her, grabbed her by the nape of her neck, and pulled her down as it was.

Kwajik!

With a loud noise, Juke’s two legs floated up into the air and fell to the ground with her back.

“My lord would probably say this.”

“You……! Cough!”

Juke’s words were not finished.

Before she could say anything, Aedan stomped on her chest with all his might.

“Matching your tune ends here.”

“Kueueuk…….”

Juke couldn’t understand how Aedan had grown so much in the time she hadn’t seen him.

But he himself was thirsty for strength.

“My lord ordered me to assert my existence here. I didn’t come here simply to show off my growth and receive praise like a child.”

Aedan said.

“Following the rules you set ends here.”

He took out the key from Juke’s chest.

Kudeudeuk—

Then, without hesitation, he broke the key.

“I’m the representative of Tatur. From now on, I will treat the Eastern Kingdom in Tatur’s way. I don’t think my pride would allow me to obediently follow what you say.”

Raising the corners of his lips, he looked at the tightly locked door and muttered in a low voice.

“The guy who is taking the same test as me would definitely do the same.”

* * *

“Achoo!!”

The man wrapped his robe around himself as if shivering from the cold wind of the north and looked at the huge tower in front of him.

[Who is it? State your name.]

A stiff tone that could not be heard in a human voice echoed in the snowfield.

The man took off the robe that covered his face.

“Mikhail Roman.”

[What brings you to the Ivory Tower?]

Unlike his naive-looking face, the look in his eyes hidden inside the robe seemed sharp.

He said to the tower soaring high into the sky with a friendly face.