‘The fundamentals of the Ice White School are coldness and sharpness. Thanks to this, I can enhance the essence of <Dragon’s Three Claws>.’

The cold winter wind blows fiercely.

In the blink of an eye, it obscures visibility, burying everything in heavy snowfall.

It’s not uncommon to suffer from frostbite if you’re not careful.

Theo thought the Ice White School resembled that winter wind.

The sharpness that pushes the enemy to death in an instant.

He had been trying to embody that principle in <Dragon’s Three Claws> and had succeeded to some extent in refining his sword path.

Swish—

The sword left behind a chilling frost in its wake.

‘With this, I can also enhance the rupture techniques.’

Theo smiled lightly.

His understanding of the Ice White School had deepened significantly while treating Ray, and he had wanted to organize his thoughts in this way.

As he had anticipated, once he finished organizing his thoughts, his sword path seemed much sharper and cleaner than before.

The ability to continuously improve and strengthen his own swordsmanship.

Theo chastised himself for not realizing how enjoyable this was until now.

At that moment.

“...?”

Theo suddenly sensed a piercing gaze watching him and turned around.

Ray was observing him.

‘Oh no.’

He hadn’t realized when she had woken up; he had been so focused on his training.

How much had she seen of his training?

Before he could come up with an excuse for not noticing the traces of the Ice White School,

“That’s not how you do it.”

“...?”

Ray suddenly stood up, holding her sword, and swung it twice in the air.

Swish, swish—

Her movements were much more concise and rapid than Theo’s.

Yet, how sharp they were that the mere blade’s wind left marks on the cave floor.

“It’s good to swing your sword like throwing a spear, but the pulling part feels unnatural. The essence of the Ice White Sword isn’t just about sharpness. Look at the traces left on the ground.”

Explaining the secrets of his swordsmanship to someone who had stolen it from him?

Theo found it hard to read Ray’s thoughts, but he looked at the sword marks Ray had left behind as instructed.

They were exceptionally neat.

As if carefully cut.

“Now, look at the traces you left behind.”

In contrast, Theo’s traces looked rough and jagged.

“Ah...!”

“Do you see the difference?”

As Theo nodded, Ray smiled faintly.

At that moment, Theo was quite surprised.

In both his past and present lives, this was the first time he had seen her express such emotions.

“Swordsmanship is just as important to pull back as it is to swing. Swing the sword like you’re throwing it, and pull it back as if you’re drawing it in. Make those actions flow smoothly instead of breaking up.”

Theo seemed to get a clue from her words and briefly fell into thought.

Ray continued to watch him with a gentle smile.

She believed he would be able to understand.

‘If I can help even in this way.’

Ray felt elated to be able to help Theo for the first time.

After a moment, Theo finished pondering and grasped Drake’s weapon again.

“Could you watch me once more? It might be bothersome.”

Ray nodded, saying it wasn’t bothersome at all.

Swish, swish—

Theo began to swing his sword again.

* * *

“Is this the right area?”

“Yes! They must not have gone far since they left a stab wound in their side!”

Orien coldly smiled while stroking his chin.

He had received news during his focused monster hunting with Axion regarding Ray’s injury.

Orien thought now was the perfect opportunity for Axion to solidify his first-place position.

‘If we can incapacitate her here, no one will be able to touch Axion anymore.’

Currently, Axion had a score of 431 points.

Considering that the average score of other participants was under 100, the gap was overwhelming.

Thanks to Orien and the members of the Cultivation Society funneling most of their points to him, this was the result.

The problem was that Ray, who was in second place, was quickly catching up with a score in the 300s.

Clearly, she was moving alone without any significant team members.

But now, unexpectedly, a chance had arisen to retire Ray.

‘Moreover, I was told that the place we clashed was one where traces of Hyde’s gang had been discovered... Theo must be nearby too.’

A moment ago, there had been a message relayed through Edgar.

- Make sure Theo Ragnar doesn’t fall into the Grand Elder’s grasp.

Orien didn’t know why he had been suddenly told to assist that brat.

That’s why he had separated from Axion and was searching for Theo.

And now, the timing had lined up perfectly.

If he could block Hyde’s gang and retire Ray at the same time,

It would be an incredibly perfect picture.

‘No, if I think about it, it’s killing three birds with one stone. If I crush Theo’s limbs, it’s all the better.’

Orien still remembered the moment when Theo had brazenly looked him in the eye while cutting off the arms of his friends and making a mess of the banquet hall.

He was determined to avenge the humiliation he had suffered back then.

Even if Edgar had told him to save Theo, there was no command to keep him unscathed.

As long as he stayed alive.

As long as he stayed alive.

‘It seems the Plum Blossom Clan is also searching for him... Hehe! I don’t think there’s a way for you to safely finish this exam, idiot.’

Orien felt pleased at the thought of seeing Theo, begging for his life and clinging to his ankle.

“Is it around here? Lead the way.”

* * *

Thanks to the advice and conversation about swordsmanship,

Theo and Ray were able to draw closer at an alarming rate without any awkwardness.

“Many people are targeting you. You have to be careful.”

Ray said with a cautious expression.

Given her encounter with the Cultivation Society, it was clear that those guys would soon come in greater numbers.

Thus, she believed they needed to prepare for it.

“Fortunately, this is still an undetected safe zone, so we should be able to buy some time...!”

Ray paused mid-sentence, tilting her head.

Theo had lightly smiled knowingly and walked deeper into the cave.

There, beneath a massive magic circle, lay a totem in the shape of a ‘horse.’

A totem that blocks monster approaches.

Surrounding it were supplies like food and equipment piled high.

“...?”

Was he trying to gather provisions?

Ray tilted her head, confused about what Theo was trying to do.

But then.

Thud!

Suddenly, Theo yanked the totem from the ground and smashed it.

“You...!”

Ray could hardly understand Theo’s actions.

The totem was supposed to provide a safe zone by repelling monsters and supplying provisions.

Yet smashing the totem would nullify all its magic...!

From their perspective, which was supposed to capitalize on the opportunity, it was sheer madness.

However, Theo didn’t answer Ray’s questions immediately.

His gaze was fixated on the deep blue orb left behind from the shattered totem.

“What is that?”

“A summoning artifact for monsters. Or should I say, a guiding artifact? It’s something similar. The effects are entirely different when it’s embedded in the totem compared to when it’s outside.”

“...What?”

Ray’s eyes widened.

Was there such a device hidden within the totem?

At that moment.

Kukuku—

The ground began to tremble slightly.

Ray felt a chill run down her spine. Her senses had sharpened from years of rigorous sword training.

It was screaming that a terrifying monster was approaching this area.

At least a Grade 6 or higher...!

‘Grade 6? No way?’

Ray looked at the orb Theo was holding. It was deep blue.

“Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. The score of monsters increases with the colors from back to front, but the points earned also increase exponentially. This is for that purpose. To earn points.”

“...!”

Only then did Ray begin to understand Theo’s intentions.

Whatever he had been doing, Theo had zero points up until now, having not captured a single monster.

But if he could hunt only strong monsters during the remaining time?

A quick turnaround was possible.

Moreover, having a way to summon monsters whenever necessary would make things even more convenient.

The problem, however, was.

“But...!”

“You’re wondering how we two can capture a deep blue monster without any preparations, right?”

Ray nodded heavily at Theo’s question.

As he said, Grade 6 monsters were so powerful that no matter how many training swordsmen gathered, they could never hope to catch one.

But.

“Who says we’re unprepared?”

“What?”

“Having a hidden piece like this means there’s also a hidden piece to overcome it. The Blooming Ritual is meant to ‘test’ the abilities of the participants, not to kill them.”

Theo rummaged through the pile of supplies and pulled out several items,

“Right?”

Looking at the items, Ray couldn’t help but chuckle.

Theo’s words were correct.

She never expected there would be weapons hidden here along with everyday supplies.

“...But even with these, I don’t think we can manage.”

Still, Ray was filled with worries.

Theo merely smiled calmly.

“Don’t worry. We won’t be the only ones hunting monsters.”

“...?”

Ray tilted her head, not understanding Theo’s meaning.

At that moment.

- Aaa

ahhh!

- Wh-what is this...!

- Why is a deep blue monster suddenly here...! Krahhh!

- Block it! Hurry!

A loud uproar erupted from outside the cave.

Clink, clink—

With the ringing of bells announcing the appearance of monsters.

Ray’s eyes widened.

“I’m going to go watch. Want to come with?”

Theo stood up with a cold smile.

* * *

“Shield! Lift the shield first!”

“It, it seems hard to get up, so I left the shield in the safe zone...!”

“What are you talking about! Then how are we supposed to block that?! Damn!”

Orien and his gang were in a panic, having lost sight of Ray’s traces.

It was due to the sudden appearance of a sandworm that had broken through the ground.

A sandworm!

It was puzzling why a monster that was said to live in desert areas had appeared in the cold region of the winter mountains,

but it was a problem that it had popped up right beneath the area they were passing through.

As a result, three of the fifteen members had been sucked into the sandworm’s belly, and seven had been injured, rolling down the slope.

From the start, two-thirds of the members had been retired.

The remaining five members hurriedly tried to form a defensive line, attempting to fight back somehow.

However, the fear and ferocity of the sandworm made them hesitant to move recklessly.

If they defended poorly, they could be seriously injured.

The problem was that while they hesitated, the damage could grow even larger.

Kuuuur—

The sandworm swiftly concealed itself back into the hole it had come from.

Orien and the participants swallowed dry gulps, tense on their faces.

The anxiety that the sandworm could appear again at any moment amplified their fear.

While they hoped it would just vanish, the slight tremors in the ground indicated that it was lurking below, waiting for a chance to strike.

Like a shark waiting to pounce on its prey beneath the surface.

“D-damn...! I came to catch Ray and now this is happening...!”

Orien trembled uncontrollably, unable to hold his shaking legs.

“Now that things have come to this...! The examiners should... come to rescue us somehow...!”

He shouted out, hoping the examiners somewhere nearby would hear him, but there was no response.

“D-damn...!”

Finally, overwhelmed by intense fear, Orien's pants began to dampen.

“C-c-come on...! Please don’t leave me like this...!”

Just then, a loud crash resonated before Orien.

Bang!

The ground in front of him shattered as the sandworm leaped out.

Hisss—

The massive body, now headless, collapsed helplessly.

Thick steam rose from the blackened cut.

Trembling...

Orien sat on the ground, staring at the sandworm’s corpse.

Above the carcass,

A familiar-faced man stood triumphantly like a conqueror.

It was Theo.