Rio slowed as the forest began to thin.
The air shifted.
Older.
Heavier.
And then—
He stepped through the last line of trees.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…That's… big."
The ruins stretched far beyond what he had expected.
Towering stone structures, half-collapsed yet still standing with stubborn defiance. Broken pillars rose like jagged teeth from the earth, some leaning at impossible angles, others completely shattered. Vines had long claimed parts of the walls, but even nature hadn't managed to fully consume it.
At the center—
A massive structure remained mostly intact.
Wide steps led upward, cracked but enduring, leading into a hollow entrance that swallowed light.
"…What the hell is this place?"
His gaze lingered.
"…This wasn't in the novel."
From what he remembered—
This exam was supposed to be straightforward.
Hunting.
Fighting.
Silver dominating the leaderboard.
Nothing about this.
"…So something's changed."
He didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward.
The moment he entered, the temperature dropped slightly.
The sounds of the forest disappeared behind him, replaced by a quiet that felt almost deliberate.
His footsteps echoed faintly as he walked through the corridors.
Broken walls.
Faded carvings.
Time had worn everything down, but not erased it.
"…Strange."
He continued deeper.
Then—
He reached the main chamber.
The space opened suddenly, vast and hollow.
Light filtered through cracks in the broken ceiling, falling in long beams that cut through the dust-filled air.
And at the center—
A statue.
Rio slowed.
"…Someone important."
He walked closer.
It was a man.
Carved in stone, yet detailed enough to feel alive.
A faint smile rested on his face.
His sword was raised high, not in aggression—but in resolve.
Like a declaration.
Rio's gaze shifted downward.
A name.
Ethan Cross.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…The First Hero."
The one spoken of in fragments.
Stories.
Myths.
A figure barely explored in the novel.
"…Ethan, huh."
Rio studied the statue quietly.
"…The author really didn't bother explaining anything about you."
A faint breath left him.
"…Figures."
He glanced around the chamber once more.
Nothing else stood out.
No mechanism.
No enemies.
No traps.
"…That's it?"
A small pause.
"…Guess I should leave."
He turned.
Took a step.
Then—
A voice.
"Not quite."
Rio froze.
His body stiffened instantly, a chill running down his spine.
"…What—"
The voice continued, calm.
"These ruins bring back memories."
His heart skipped.
Slowly—
He turned back.
And his eyes widened.
The statue—
Was gone.
In its place—
A man stood.
Golden hair.
Green eyes.
Looking upward, as if lost in thought.
Rio took a sharp step back immediately, his body reacting before his mind caught up.
"…What the hell—"
The man glanced at him.
"…Hm."
A faint smile.
"Good instincts."
Rio's thoughts raced.
That statue… moved? No—this isn't—
Is that…?
"…Arthur?"
The name slipped out before he could stop it.
The man didn't react to it.
Instead, he stepped forward slightly.
"Are you a swordsman?"
Rio steadied himself, forcing his breathing to slow.
"…Yes."
The answer came naturally.
The man nodded once.
"Good."
A pause.
"Then let's fight."
"Wha—"
Rio's words cut off.
The man was already in front of him.
A blade—
Right there.
His eyes widened as instinct took over. Lightning surged through his body as he forced himself backward, barely escaping the strike.
He landed a few meters away.
"…Haah—!"
His breath came out sharp.
"…That was close."
The man tilted his head slightly, observing.
"…Oh?"
A faint glint of interest appeared in his eyes.
"You use lightning."
He adjusted his grip on the sword.
"Good."
A small smile formed.
"Let's keep going."
He stepped forward again, presence shifting.
"Show me more, warrior of the current era."
Rio tightened his grip on his blade.
Rio didn't hesitate.
He pushed forward again—faster this time.
Lightning burst beneath his feet, carrying him in a sharp arc as frost gathered along his blade, the air around it turning pale and brittle.
"Frost Bind."
The moment his foot touched ground, threads of ice spread outward—thin at first, then rapidly thickening as they surged toward Ethan, coiling around his legs and locking into place. Frost climbed upward, sealing movement in an instant.
Ethan glanced down.
"…Hm?"
Rio was already moving.
"Frost Severance."
The slash came clean and fast, a crescent of ice cutting through the air straight toward him.
"Not bad."
Ethan's voice remained calm.
Almost approving.
Then—
"Phase."
Rio's eyes widened.
The figure in front of him blurred—
Gone.
"Wha—?"
A presence—
Behind him.
Too late.
A kick slammed into his back.
"—Gah!"
His body shot forward, sliding across the ground before barely catching himself.
"Tch—"
Rio steadied, breathing sharp.
He didn't even draw his sword…
Frustration flared.
"Fine then—"
His grip tightened.
"Heavenfall Execution—First Form: Judgement Descent."
He stepped in and brought his blade down.
The air compressed instantly.
Frost and lightning condensed into a single descending line, dragging the surroundings inward before releasing in a violent rupture. The ground beneath split apart as the strike carved downward, a deep fracture ripping through stone and dust alike.
The chamber shook.
Debris lifted.
Cracks spread across the floor like a web.
For a moment—
Everything disappeared into dust.
Silence.
Then—
Rio's eyes widened.
"…Y-you caught it?"
Standing in the center—
Ethan.
Unmoved.
His hand raised.
One finger.
Holding the blade.
Stopping it completely.
No strain.
No resistance.
Just—
Stopped.
Before Rio could react—
A kick drove into his side.
"—Gah!"
His body flew, crashing into the wall with a heavy impact. Stone shattered on contact, fragments collapsing over him as he hit the ground beneath the debris.
Dust settled slowly.
"Is that it?"
Ethan's voice echoed through the chamber.
A moment passed.
Then—
Movement.
"…Haah…"
Rio pushed himself up, coughing slightly as blood slid down from his hairline. His body trembled—not from fear, but from the impact still echoing through him.
"…Not even close."
He stepped out from the rubble, lifting his sword again.
Ethan watched him.
Quietly.
His eyes narrowed just slightly—
Though that faint smile never left.
"…Good."
"Child," he said, voice steady, "come at me with everything you have."
Rio didn't answer.
Didn't need to.
He raised his blade.
Light began to gather.
Different from before.
Warmer.
Sharper.
"Lumen Quietus Style—First Form: Luminous Draw."
Golden light ignited along the edge of his sword, radiating outward in steady waves. The chamber itself seemed to react, shadows retreating as the glow intensified.
For the first time—
Ethan's expression shifted.
Not surprise.
Not shock.
Satisfaction.
"…Now that…"
A faint smile deepened.
"…is better."
His hand moved.
For the first time—
He unsheathed his sword.
A quiet sound.
Clean.
Weightless.
"Then I'll respond properly."
The air changed.
Pressure dropped.
"Cross Technique—First Form: Solar Rend."
They moved at the same time.
The distance vanished.
Steel met steel.
The impact was immediate.
Violent.
A burst of light tore outward as both strikes collided, the chamber shaking under the force. The ground beneath their feet fractured, cracks racing outward as wind and pressure exploded through the ruins.
For a moment—
They held.
Rio's eyes tightened.
"…!"
The force behind Ethan's blade didn't just meet his—
It swallowed it.
His stance broke.
"—Guh!"
The pressure surged through him, overwhelming his arms as his blade was forced back. His feet slid across the ground, stone grinding beneath him as he struggled to hold the clash.
He was losing.
Completely.
Too strong—
His grip trembled.
His vision shook.
But he didn't let go.
"…Not yet—"
In that single moment—
As the collision tipped against him—
He shifted.
Just slightly.
Not to overpower.
Not to block.
But to redirect.
His blade angled—
Barely.
Enough.
The overwhelming force slammed past him instead of through him, tearing into the ground behind as he twisted his body along the motion.
A sharp line of gold slipped through.
"—!"
Ethan's eyes flickered.
A shallow cut traced across his side.
Clean.
Precise.
The clash broke.
Rio was thrown back, skidding across the ground before catching himself on one knee, breath uneven.
"…Haah… haah…"
Across from him—
Ethan stood still.
For a brief moment—
Then—
A soft laugh.
"I see…"
He looked down at the cut.
"…So that was the condition."
Rio's head lifted, confusion flickering through the exhaustion.
"…What?"
Ethan's body began to fade.
Slowly.
Fragments of light breaking away from him.
Rio's eyes widened.
"…What's happening to you?"
Ethan looked back at him, still smiling.
"The condition for you to win—was simple."
More of his form scattered into light.
"…Injure me once."
A pause.
"You've done that."
Rio stared at him.
"…So this was… a test."
"I suppose you could call it that."
His form continued to dissolve, the golden fragments drifting upward like embers.
"…Child."
His voice softened slightly.
"How is the current world?"
Rio exhaled slowly, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"…I'm not really sure."
A faint shrug.
"…It's still kind of a mess."
A small pause.
"…But I guess it's not that bad."
Ethan laughed.
Warm.
Light.
"…I see."
"…That's good enough."
His form was almost gone now.
"…Goodbye."
Rio hesitated for a moment.
Then—
"…Wait."
Ethan glanced back faintly.
"…What level were you fighting me at?"
A small pause.
"…Hm?"
Then casually—
"Around D rank, I suppose."
Rio's eyes widened.
"…D rank?"
Ethan laughed at his reaction, the sound fading along with him.
And then—
He was gone.
Only drifting specks of light remained—
Before they, too, disappeared into the silence.
[+8000]